Stakeholders in Nigeria’s climate, energy and development sectors have intensified efforts to launch an ambitious 80 million clean cookstoves programme aimed at reducing household air pollution, curbing deforestation, expanding access to clean energy and creating economic opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
The initiative, being championed by Greenplinth Africa Limited under the theme, “Clean Cooking Access in Africa: Igniting Socio-economic Change with 80 Million Clean Cookstoves in Nigeria,” is expected to commence with a pilot phase in Lagos State before being expanded across the country.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement and media chat on clean cooking access and climate action, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Titilayo Oshodi, described the initiative as a transformative opportunity capable of delivering environmental, health, social and economic benefits simultaneously.
According to her, the project is attracting significant attention from global investors and climate-focused institutions participating in the ongoing London Climate Action Week because of its potential to address multiple development challenges through a single intervention.
She explained that clean cooking should be viewed beyond the narrow context of household energy consumption.

“Clean cooking must be recognised not simply as an energy conversation, but as a climate solution, a health intervention, a gender empowerment strategy, an economic inclusion mechanism and a pathway towards sustainable development,” Oshodi said.

She noted that more than 900 million people across Africa still rely on traditional cooking fuels such as firewood and charcoal, contributing to widespread deforestation, environmental degradation, greenhouse gas emissions and dangerous levels of indoor air pollution.

Earlier in his welcome address, the President and Group Chief Financial Officer of Greenplinth Africa Limited, Babatunde Aina, described the initiative as a national movement designed to transform the lives of millions of Nigerians.

According to him, the programme goes beyond environmental sustainability and seeks to address issues of health, poverty, energy access and economic inclusion.

“Today is not about announcing just another project. Today is about declaring a national movement. A movement for clean energy, healthier homes, women’s dignity, household empowerment and climate responsibility,” Aina said.

He disclosed that the project is designed to deploy clean cookstoves to households free of charge under a structured lease arrangement intended to encourage accountability and sustained adoption.

The Chairman of the event and Emir of Nasarawa, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, described the initiative as a timely intervention capable of helping Nigeria capture opportunities within the global carbon market while simultaneously addressing pressing environmental and public health concerns.

Jibril, a former Minister of Environment, noted that millions of Nigerians continue to rely on firewood, charcoal and kerosene for cooking despite the well-documented risks associated with these energy sources.

“For Greenplinth to come up with this initiative, they are not only helping us to get the carbon credits that others are reaping away, but they are helping humanity,” he said.