Nigeria plans to deploy 80 million green cookstoves across the country, a move that backers say could cut household fuel use by over 85% while reducing carbon emissions and improving public health. The initiative, championed by Lagos State's climate adviser Titilayo Oshodi, targets the 900 million Africans still cooking with traditional biomass. Pilot results in Makoko, Lagos showed daily firewood consumption drop from 10 kg to 1.37 kg per household. The program uses a lease-to-own model: stoves are provided free but under a structured agreement, with a proposed monthly cooking stipend of 10,000 naira, free healthcare for up to eight family members, and 40 kg of biomass briquettes. Each stove is expected to prevent at least 15 tonnes of CO2 annually and comes with a 30-year warranty. The project also aims to create jobs in local manufacturing and carbon markets. Critics may question the scale and funding, but the pilot data and focus on measurable outcomes set this apart from typical clean cooking pledges. If executed, it could become a template for Africa's clean energy transition.
