The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with a German company, Atmosfair has revealed plans to distribute one million “Save80 Clean Cookstoves” annually to curtail the use of firewood by 80 per cent.
Dr Salisu Dahiru, the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, revealed this to reporters on the sideline of a sensitization programme for North-Central women in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
According to him, the cookstove was created and built in such a way that it would enable households to save at least 80% of the firewood required to prepare a typical family meal.
Dahiru promised that the Federal Government would create a favourable climate for Atmosfair so that the people would always have access to and afford cookstoves.
Read Also: FAO, UNEP harp on need to protect forests
Earlier in his speech, the Chief Executive Officer of Atmosfair gGmbh, Dr Dietrich Brockhagen, noted that in addition to saving about 80 per cent of the cost, the cookstove also has 10 years guarantee.
In his words, “When I first came to Nigeria 10 years ago, I travelled from Lagos in the South West up to Katsina and when I saw the beautiful landscape and I met so many Nigerians and I realised how much forest was degraded.
“I saw many women cooking with firewood and they were suffering from pollution I said okay there must be a solution to this and some of my Nigerian friends told me that even the tension between herders and farmers sometimes can be linked to erosion and land degradation.
“So, I said maybe if I bring efficient cookstove to Nigeria it might be a solution and there could be changed and this is what I have been trying ever since.”
Story was adapted from Enviro News
