Women in Energy Launch National Campaign To Increase Access To Cooking Gas

WIEN, the Women In Energy Network, has launched a nationwide campaign to provide gas cylinders with gas content to households in an effort to raise awareness of the risks associated with cooking with dirty fuels and increase the use of LPG, or cooking gas, in Nigeria.

The massive, capital-intensive project would be implemented in each of Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The program includes giving away 100 gas cylinders for free each year and educating community people and groups about safety precautions.

According to TIMBLOGGIST, over 98,000 Nigerian women are said to die each year as a result of using charcoal and firewood. This has spurred the most recent action.

Reports state that about In the Niger Delta, the use of filthy fuels claims the lives of 21,000 women each year.

Noting that Nigerian women endure this on a daily basis, cooking with firewood and charcoal is like to smoking 20 packs of cigarettes.

When announcing the initiative's start in Lagos on Thursday, WIEN President Mrs. Eyono Fatai-Williams stated that the group was working with Smart Gas Limited to increase the LPG's penetration rather than working on the project alone.

Speaking passionately, Fatai-Williams praised the cooperative effort to increase LPG use in local communities, arguing that this action is in line with the Nigerian government's agenda for economic sustainability and fuel diversification, particularly as it works to lessen reliance on fossil fuels references.

She stated that since the government of Nigeria has realized how important it is to vary its energy mix in order to ensure long-term economic stability, the endeavor will significantly help the country's fuel diversification strategy.

"This initiative directly supports the federal government's National Gas Expansion Program (NGEP), which aims to increase domestic LPG consumption and reduce reliance on kerosene and other polluting fuels by promoting LPG as an alternative to firewood and coal," the spokeswoman continued.

In comparison to firewood, coal, and kerosene, Fatai-Williams claimed that LPG offers a more affordable and sustainable energy source for homes in terms of economic efficiency and cost savings. Long-term savings on residential energy bills are accompanied by a reduction in fuel import prices for the nation.