During a ceremony organised by Windek Energy Limited in Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Uwandu, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gas 360, unveiled a startling statistic: more than 98,000 Nigerian women lose their lives yearly due to the use of firewood and charcoal for cooking.
Uwandu emphasised that within the Niger Delta alone, approximately 21,000 women succumb annually to the harmful effects of these traditional cooking methods.
In his keynote presentation at the event, Uwandu equated cooking with firewood and charcoal to smoking 20 packs of cigarettes daily, highlighting the immense health risks faced by Nigerian women on a regular basis.
He underscored the urgency of addressing this issue, pointing out that household air pollution from cooking with “dirty” fuels ranks as the leading cause of death in Nigeria, surpassing attention given to diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS. Despite this alarming reality, global funding for clean cooking initiatives remains disproportionately low compared to other health concerns.
Uwandu called upon both national and sub-national governments in Nigeria to prioritise clean cooking solutions and unlock global opportunities for addressing this public health crisis.
He emphasised the need for comprehensive action plans and government support to transition communities from reliance on dirty fuels to clean cooking alternatives.
Echoing Uwandu’s sentiments, Nosa Igiehon Okunbo, the Managing Director of Windek Energy Limited, emphasised the company’s commitment to not only launching projects but also spearheading a movement towards widespread adoption of clean energy usage across Nigeria.
Okunbo stressed the preventable nature of deaths resulting from household air pollution and expressed determination to tackle this issue head-on with initiatives like their latest LPG facility.
The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including Obong Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Minister of State for Petroleum, who praised Windek Energy’s visionary commitment to the project. The establishment of the 20,000 metric-tonne LPG depot at Atabrikang Aquaha in Ibeno was hailed as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards energy security and economic prosperity.
Representing the state Governor, Umo Eno, Senator Akon Ayakenyi expressed delight over the project’s establishment, emphasising its importance in enhancing energy capacity and driving growth in Akwa Ibom State.
In light of these revelations, the United Nations’ 2019 disclosure that nearly 4 million individuals die prematurely each year due to illnesses caused by household air pollution underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to promote clean cooking solutions and mitigate this preventable tragedy.
