Nigeria’s Ministry of Women Affairs has joined forces with major stakeholders in Nigeria’s energy sector to eliminate the health risks posed by firewood and traditional cooking methods, with a renewed commitment to tackling energy poverty among women.
Speaking at a multi-stakeholder engagement in Abuja on Wednesday, Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim expressed confidence that the collaborative initiative would significantly improve access to clean energy solutions, especially for women across all 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
“Over 80,000 women die prematurely from the toxic smoke of firewood and traditional cooking stoves; hence, the efforts aim to reach Nigerian women across all 774 local government areas,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted that the adoption of solar-powered agricultural tools and clean home energy systems would play a pivotal role in promoting healthier, safer living environments.
She described energy poverty as not merely a technical problem but a profound social injustice that disproportionately affects women.
“Energy poverty is not just a technical challenge. It is a social injustice. It locks women in cycles of unpaid labour, economic dependence, and health risks. In many communities, women spend up to eight hours a week gathering firewood,” she noted.
The minister announced plans to roll out clean energy technologies nationwide, including solar home systems, improved cooking stoves, solar-powered water pumps, e-mobility tools, and other productive-use appliances tailored to the needs of women in underserved communities.
Mr. Abba Abubakar-Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), shared progress made under the Nigerian Electrification Project, a $550 million initiative that has already benefited eight million Nigerians and 35,000 businesses, including 12,000 women-led enterprises.
He also revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved a $750 million off-grid energy project, with $410 million allocated for mini-grid development and $240 million for solar home systems.
Abubakar-Aliyu described this as a major opportunity to expand energy access across the country and reinforce efforts to empower women economically.
“So, there is a huge opportunity for us to replicate and to make sure that we scale this intervention across the country,” he stated.
Also addressing the gathering, Mr. Khalil Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), underscored the severity of energy poverty as a barrier to women’s progress, particularly in rural areas.
His remarks, delivered by Dr. Olayode Olasupo, Director of Manufacturing Services at NASENI, stressed that energy poverty affects every aspect of life, from clean cooking and lighting to accessing healthcare and educational services.
“This thereby limits access to critical services, restricts economic opportunities, and compromises health and safety,” he said.
