The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deploy four million ECOCA solar electric cookstoves across Nigeria in a major push toward clean cooking and climate resilience. The initiative forms part of the zero carbon clean cooking drive under the Green Economy Empowerment 774 programme, which targets all 774 local government areas in the country.
Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, said the programme is designed to reduce hazardous kitchen smoke while advancing a greener and more inclusive economy. She noted that the distribution model adopts a 5,000 units per local government formula to ensure equitable spread and avoid the concentration of benefits in urban centres. The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Nko Asanye Esuabana, signed the agreement with Clean Sustainable Renewable Solutions Limited to commence implementation.
According to the ministry, the ECOCA solar units function as mini power hubs equipped with three LED lights, two stainless steel pots and USB ports for phone charging. Officials cited data indicating that indoor air pollution contributes to the deaths of about 95,000 Nigerians annually, with women and children most affected due to prolonged exposure to smoke from firewood and charcoal.
Each solar stove is projected to prevent approximately 4.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions yearly, supporting Nigeria’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and its net zero target by 2060. The stoves are fitted with a Monitoring, Reporting and Verification system to track carbon offsets in real time and potentially facilitate access to carbon credit markets.
Beyond health and environmental gains, the government said the programme would free up time spent gathering firewood and tending traditional stoves, enabling women to engage in more productive economic activities. The initiative is also expected to curb deforestation in rural communities where wood remains the dominant household energy source.
The ministry confirmed that rollout will begin with pilot projects in selected states over the next six months to test durability across different climates before scaling nationwide under the GEE774 women’s economy and carbon incentives framework.