The Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cooking marked the International Women’s Day 2025 with a Stove Fair at Wuse Market, Abuja. The event showcased the power of clean cooking to drive gender equality, improve public health, and boost economic opportunities, aligning with the global theme: “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
Addressing stakeholders and visitors to the fair, Mrs. Precious Onuvae, Secretary of the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cooking, reiterated the challenges Nigerian women face due to reliance on firewood and traditional cooking methods.
“Over 120 million Nigerians still cook with firewood, leading to severe household air pollution, deforestation, and time poverty, particularly affecting women and girls,” she stated. “Clean cooking is not just an energy solution; it is a pathway to dignity, better health, and financial independence. Every household that transitions to clean cooking brings us closer to gender equality.”
The Stove Market Fair was organised in collaboration with key clean energy stakeholders in Nigeria, including Toyola Energy, Roshan Renewables, Burn Manufacturing, Solar Sisters, Gee Tee Energy, etc. It featured live demonstrations of LPG cookers, ethanol stoves, biomass briquettes, and solar-powered cooking systems.
To make clean cookstoves more affordable, stoves were sold at promotional rates, giving women and other visitors at the fair a chance to own these life-changing solutions at a fair price. This strategy not only puts cleaner, safer cooking within reach but also sparks wider adoption by introducing more households to the technology, helping cut carbon emissions, improve health, and drive Nigeria’s clean energy transition.
The event concluded with a call to action for policymakers, investors, and development partners to prioritise clean cooking as a national imperative
Mrs. Onuvae announced that NACC would expand its advocacy campaigns, implement subsidised stove initiatives, and strengthen partnerships with financial institutions to scale up access to clean cooking solutions across Nigeria.