Targets jobs, over $1bn revenue from carbon credit exchange
Makoko community, others among early beneficiaries
The quest by the Lagos state government to achieve a cleaner, safer, efficient, sustainable, eco-friendly status for the Centre of Excellence is fast gaining traction if some of the current fundamentals are anything to judge by, The Nation can authoritatively report.
Specifically, certain indices, such as investment in waste management, strategic alliances with partners that share similar vision, legal and institutional frameworks, to mention just, are testament to the sheer level of commitment and drive by the state government toward achieving the ideals and ideas of socioeconomic development.
Interestingly, one of the programmes which the state government has keyed into is the 80M Clean Cookstoves Project.
The 80M Clean Cookstoves Project formally flagged off in Lagos, on 17th day of October 2024, at the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Ikeja, involves the procurement, pre-fabrication, assembling and commissioning of highly efficient fuel wood cookstoves as well as awareness and sensitisation campaigns and training of users mainly in households across the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory. Up to now, highly efficient woodstoves with savings of more than 80 % are not available in the country.
This project in Nigeria is the largest clean cooking systems initiative in the world, and the technology remains the most efficient improved cookstove available globally, with more than 90% efficiency.
The project has been duly endorsed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as an Article 6.4 Project. The Federal Government’s endorsement of this groundbreaking Article 6.4 initiative underscores its commitment to fostering sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and the well-being of its citizens.
This is the first time in the world that efficient clean cook stoves project of this magnitude is being fully funded and distributed free.
The cook stoves will be deployed at no cost to the beneficiaries – Women and households in Nigeria. It is also the first clean cook stove project to be launched with the co-benefit of innovative tree planting and nurturing to eliminate or reduce poverty, hunger, and diseases.
The project will be a foreign exchange earner for the Nigerian economy – earns Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) and enhance the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) ambition towards NET ZERO CARBON 2060.
The whole idea is to distribute 80 million highly efficient cook stoves to women, low-income and poor families across Nigeria for free; aiming at drastically reducing the level of traditional firewood consumption during cooking to over 90%.
The target population is primarily rural areas, semi urban areas and urban households where fuelwood is the dominant or alternative energy source (over 70%). Thus, for every cookstove deployed, 50 seedlings of economic trees will be planted, resulting in 4 billion trees planted at the end of the project – National Innovative Tree Planting Programme for Poverty Reduction.
All 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory will have a factory and an assembly plant.
Meeting Nigeria’s commitments of Unconditional Reduction of 20% CO2 emission by 2030, deployment of 80 million of Panda Clean Cookstoves in Nigerian Households (registered as a UNFCCC GHG emission reduction project).
Sharing insights on why the Lagos state government aligns with the 80million Clean Cookstoves Project, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Titilayo Oshodi , during its activation in the upland district of Makoko, last Wednesday, said the project which is in partnership with Green Plinth Africa aims to distribute eight million clean cookstoves in Lagos at no cost but will give carbon credit to the government that would translate into funds for other laudable projects beneficial to the people of the state.
This is just as she urged partners, stakeholders and community leaders to join hands with the government to reduce air pollution and push for real progress for better health, smarter cooking and for the elevation of the lives of people in Makoko and across Lagos.
Oshodi who said the state decided to unveil the cookstoves last to coincide with the 60th birthday of Governor Sanwo-Olu, described the process as a game-changing solution to indoor air pollution, deforestation and unveiling of treasure that cooks faster, cleaner and safer.
“The good people of Makoko are honoured and privileged because among the 8million that had been designated to enjoy the benefit of these clean cookstoves, Makoko stands to be the very first to taste this new trajectory of clean energy that addresses health hazards,” Oshodi stated.
Pressed further, Oshodi said, “What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than to give a gift not to himself, but to the people of Lagos starting from Makoko. It’s a privilege for you to be the first among the rest. Yes, this clean cookstoves live demonstration is a birthday gift from the governor to you. The hardworking families of Makoko and the millions of Lagosian deserve safer, healthier homes and a greener environment. The governor said let us begin the journey towards cooking today. And here we are taking the first bold step right here in Makoko where change begins. This is more than a demonstration, the health risk associated with traditional cooking, said methods. Today we are not just showing you cookstoves, we are unveiling a treasure, one that Cooks faster, cleaner and safer. One that saves lives, one that saves the planet, and this is just the beginning.
“Starting from June 30th, some clean cookstoves would be distributed to Makoko people and 8 million cookstoves across all 57 local government and LCDAs in Lagos State. We are making history. So today I urge all of us, stakeholders, partners, and our dear community leaders. This is not just about clean cooking, this is about dignity, development and about the future. Let’s light the fire, not just in our stoves, but in our commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos. Congratulations to the people of Lagos and it smells like progress. This is an 80million cookstoves distribution project that we have created a lot of awareness about which started in May last year. 80million across Nigeria. However, 8million is already designed to be distributed across the 57 Local Government and LCDAs.
“We decided to start with a live demonstration in the community where we are going to do the first distribution and it happens to be Makoko. When we did the press briefing a few weeks ago, we announced that the first distribution will commence on the 30th of June. The initiative would help to boost morale, the economy of the people and the ability to enjoy a fresh sustainable environment by virtue of remodeling these cookstoves.”
According to her, “The plan is that we are starting from 8 million. It does not stop there. That’s not the end of the journey. As we continue to distribute the proceeds that come the usage of these clean cookstoves is going to give us the returns of the investment, because these clean cookstoves are giving out free to the Lagosians, at no cost, but there is investment that is going to be returning on the usage of the clean cookstoves. So, if those stoves are being used, we get carbon credit that would translate into funds that we are going to use to purchase some more and we can also develop other infrastructural programmes that would be beneficial to the community.”
From available information, the Lagos state government is actively pursuing the development of a carbon credit market, with plans to establish Africa’s first subnational carbon exchange, the Lagos Carbon Exchange (LCX). This initiative aims to generate over $1 billion in revenue over 15 years through the trading of 1.2 million certified carbon credits. The state government is also implementing a “80 Million Credit Float Project” to support green development across all 57 local governments and LCDAs, with each council receiving N1 billion annually for green initiatives.
Thus, the Lagos Carbon Exchange (LCX) platform will enable the state to monetise its carbon emission reductions by creating a transparent and regulated carbon market. The LCX is projected to generate over $1 billion in revenue within 15 years through the trading of carbon credits, which will be reinvested in infrastructure, social programs, and green projects.
This project involves deploying 80 million improved cookstoves, which will generate carbon credits that can be traded on the LCX.
The Lagos state government is collaborating with GreenPlinth Africa, a climate-focused development partner, to implement the “80 Million Credit Float Project”.
Also speaking about the transparency of the project, the Chief Transformation Officer of Green Plinth Africa, Dr. Adebola Odunsi said his organisation, in collaboration with Lagos State, is working with already populated social registers with databases and properly managed and captured the relevant households to guide the intervention.
Odunsi who urged the beneficiaries of the cookstoves to maintain them not just to mitigate the hazardous effect of traditional way of cooking, but the stoves are there to take care of their health.
“The stoves would last for 30 years, and so we see this as a very long intervention, with the aim of changing the economic trajectory of the households, which will give a general improvement to the economy of the state and the economy of the country as a whole,” Odunsi stated.
The Technical Coordinator of 80million Cookstoves Project, Yahaya Mohammed said the project kick-starts in Makoko based on the large number of indigent citizens residing in the community.
He said the idea of the initiative is to replace traditional ways of cooking that endangers people’s lives, with modern green cooking stoves by using briskets made from agricultural wastes such as sawdust, rice dust among others, to have cleaner and healthier cooking.
Mohammed emphasised that the project would be registered with the United Nations, who will in return pay per ton of Carbon dioxides that are saved, noting that selling the cookstoves to the indigent citizens would further reinforce their burdens.
He revealed that Green Plinth will site at least three brisket making factories in each state of Nigeria to make the briskets available for people that need it at no cost, which according to him will create more jobs for many Nigerians.
Also speaking, Salvador Oluwatobiloba who represented the General Manager of Lagos State Parks and Gardens, Mrs. Adetoun Ibilola Popoola salutes the governor of Lagos State and the office of the Special Assistant on Climate Change and Circular Economy for the initiative.
Also speaking at the launch event, Chief Victor Panke, Baale of Adigbon in Makoko, said the initiative was indeed commendable.
“The first-time government representatives came and said they were bringing the cookstoves, we never believed it would happen, because there are a lot of promises the government promised us in the past that never saw the light of the day. And for this one to be a reality, we are so excited. The whole Makoko community is appreciating our governor for the great initiative.
“Our women go through a lot to prepare meals for their families. The smoke affects their eyes, causes asthma, and we thought that’s how we would continue until the government of Lagos state under the leadership of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu brought a ray of hope to our community. Now our women will be cooking faster and neater, and we will also live healthier. I am also excited because it’s my own community in the Adigbon 1 area of Makoko where the Cookstoves started. I am the happiest man today. We also appreciate Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi, the Special Adviser on Climate Change and Circular Economy, may God bless them.”
On her part, Mrs. Biodun Wusa, the woman whose kitchen was used for the live demonstration of the cookstove, said “There is no doubt this project has brought a ray of hope to good health for us in Makoko. I prepare my meal faster and cleaner. I make vegetable soup, fry my fish and cook rice within a very short time. There was no smoke and stress that usually accompanied the traditional way of cooking. In fact, the food tasted better and sweeter. I cannot find the right words to thank our governor in Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi for this laudable initiative, may God strengthen them and give them a successful administration.”
Another resident, Dele Aladetan, described the initiative as one of the best things that ever came to the Makoko community. “We thank the governor of Lagos state, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for this feature that the distribution should start from the Makoko community to commemorate his 60th birthday. Apart from the cookstoves which will help our wives to cook clean and faster, it will also make them live healthier, and I also believe that it will provide jobs for our youth who would be trained in brisket making.”
For Uchechukwu Igweonyia Omolewa, Head, Sales and Marketing, LASHMA, “Cooking healthy is one of the things we do every day of our lives. So once again, congratulations to Lagos State Government and congratulations to everyone in Makoko and people of Lagos for key into this initiative and ensuring that we cook healthy to have healthy food so that we have healthy living and achieve universal health coverage.”
The Improved and Efficient Cooking Energy Solution for Nigeria is a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Global Climate Action Portal (GCAP) registered Initiative. The project is designed to distribute 80 million highly efficient improved fuel woodstoves for free to women, low-income earners, poor families, and households across Nigeria – drastically reducing the level of traditional firewood consumption during cooking to over 90%.
According to the National Clean Cooking Policy as approved by the Federal Executive Council in Nigeria (in March 2024), over 180 million Nigerians lack access to clean-cooking fuels and technologies.
The implication of this level of cooking energy poverty cuts across the wider economy, public health, the situation of women, deforestation, and climate change.
The use of the Improved Cooking system will promote clean and healthy living for women, children and the households captured in the programme – it will drastically reduce the use of fuel wood far below what is currently the practice – this will greatly reduce the risk of lung and respiratory diseases and abate greenhouse gases emission.
The clean cookstoves project is designed to contribute to a range of co-benefits, aligning with 10 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 80M Clean Cookstoves Project is programmed to be funded by Carbon Credit – The first Carbon Credit Purchase Agreement was signed in September 2024.
The clean cookstoves project aligns with the Paris Agreement by contributing towards the goal of mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable development. The Initiative helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, which are significant contributors to climate change – reducing the use of traditional stoves and replacing them with cleaner cook stoves, the project will provide a more sustainable solution to cooking needs and reduce deforestation, which enables more carbon to be stored in trees.
This project will not only combat deforestation but will also promote sustainable land management practices, enhance biodiversity, and create economic opportunities for communities across Nigeria – stimulating economic growth by creating new avenues for employment and income generation.
The Paris Agreement set a target of keeping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The project directly contributes to the Paris Agreement’s goal of achieving the 1.5-degree target by reducing carbon emissions and deforestation. By harnessing the project’s potential impact on the environment and raising awareness on the benefits of using clean cookstoves, the initiative will empower communities to transition to sustainable energy use, which is essential for achieving the Paris Agreement’s ambition.