FG approves N9.2bn Cooking Stoves For Rural Women

The Executive Council of the Federal Republic of Nigeria yesterday approved the purchase of cooking
stoves and "wonder bags" worth N9.2bn for rural women under the nations National Clean Cooking Scheme.

Disclosing this the state house correspondent after the FEC meeting, supervising Minister of
Information, Dr.Nurudeen Muhammed said the scheme is posed towards minimizing the use of firewood among rural women in the country.

The National Clean Cooking Scheme is a federal Government initiative that drives to embed clean cooking culture among the poor rural women , this is also aimed at eliminating the old fashion cooking norms with solid fossil which is detrimental to health. The scheme is expected to provide 20 million clean stoves over the next five years at the average of 4 million stoves per annum. which will be distributed free of charge to the poor rural women.

The Minister stated that the N9.2bn which included the value added tax was approved for the purchase of 750,000 units of clean cooking stoves and 18,000 wonder bags,non-electric low cooker which was invented by a South African eco-entrepreneur Sarah Collins with came up with the idea of surrounding the pan with cushions in her country six years ago.

According to the Minister the stoves are expected to be delivered in 12 weeks by Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited .

Minister of environment Mrs Lawrecia Mallam,said the government approved of the purchase of clean cooking stoves because it sees cooking with firewood as a silent killer and its very dangerous to the rural women, they hope to use this medium in taking away the firewood process from the lives of the people.