Nigeria to Deploy 80M Green Cookstoves in Climate Push

A pilot program in Lagos has proven that switching to green cookstoves can cut a household's firewood consumption from 10 kilograms a day to just 1.37 kilograms. Now Nigeria is scaling that success to 80 million households nationwide.

The ambitious initiative aims to transform public health, create thousands of jobs, and accelerate Nigeria's shift to clean energy. Titilayo Oshodi, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change, called it "one of the most ambitious clean energy projects on the continent" during a stakeholder meeting in Lagos this week.

More than 900 million Africans still cook with traditional biomass and inefficient methods, contributing to deforestation and serious health problems. The new cookstoves address multiple challenges at once: reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality in homes, and freeing up time and money families currently spend gathering or buying firewood.

The program tested the stoves in Makoko, a Lagos community, with dramatic results. Larger households that previously burned through 33 kilograms of firewood daily saw similar efficiency gains. The reduction isn't just good for the environment; it's transformational for family budgets and women's workloads.

Greenplinth Africa Ltd is leading the deployment under a structured lease program. Households receive the cookstoves free of charge but must use them properly or risk having them reassigned to other families. This accountability model ensures the stoves create lasting impact rather than gathering dust.

Participating families also receive a monthly cooking support stipend of 10,000 naira and free healthcare coverage for up to eight family members. The program recognizes that clean cooking isn't just about stoves; it's about supporting whole households through the transition.

The Ripple Effect

The initiative reaches far beyond individual kitchens. Local manufacturing of the cookstoves will create green jobs across Nigeria. Women gain economic empowerment through reduced fuel costs and time savings. Carbon credit markets could generate additional revenue as the country meets climate goals.

Alhaji Ibrahim Jubril, the Emir of Nasarawa and former Minister of State for Environment, emphasized that climate solutions must fit local realities. What works in densely populated Lagos needs adaptation for states like Niger and Nasarawa with different geography and logistics.

The Emir pointed to environmental damage already happening: economic trees like shea butter are being destroyed across northern Nigeria for charcoal production. Clean cookstoves offer a pathway to stop this degradation while improving livelihoods.

Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Nepal have already shown how national clean cooking policies can succeed with proper planning and collaboration. Nigeria is now positioned to join them as a global leader in practical climate action.

With government support, private sector innovation, and community engagement working together, Nigeria's cookstove revolution could become a model for the entire continent.