Nigerian Govt, German firm set to distribute 1 million firewood cookstoves annually

Oredola Adeola

The Nigerian Government and Atmosfair, a German company, have revealed the plan to distribute one million firewood-efficient cooking stoves called ‘Save80 Clean Cookstoves’ annually, to promote clean burning of firewood, and eradicate lung and eye-related health challenges due to women and children’s constant exposure to acrid smoke when cooking with open fires.

The Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr. Salisu Dahiru, made this known during a sensitisation programme for North Central Women, held in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Tuesday.

EnergyDay’s check showed that the Save80 clean cookstove by Atmosfair is an efficient firewood efficient stove that uses about 80% less wood for cooking. Further findings showed that the stove has the capacity to reduce indoor air pollution and deforestation.

The Dr. Dahiru, NCCC DG, noted that the cookstove had been invented and designed in such a way that it would help families save at least 80 percent of all the firewood that they use in cooking a standard meal for any family.

He said that the Federal Government is committed to providing enabling environment for Atmosfair to ensure that the cookstoves are available and affordable at all times to the people.

He said, “This is an invention outside Nigeria, but we made it so easy for the investor to operate. The company has established a factory in Kano and set up an assembly plant in Agada village, Keffi, where they will bring the completely knocked down (CKD) pieces for assemblage.

“The target is to produce one million of these cookstoves annually and distribute them across the country. We are starting in phases.

” We are going to start with about 100,000 and then increase the capacity of the assembly plant. Once the existing plant scale through, the German company will establish another factory in Kebbi state, as part of a measure to achieve about 500,000 on an annual basis next year and then we will scale up to one million per annum.”

He said, “In Nigeria, trees are harvested for cooking. Out of a population of over 200 million, about 80 percent of the Nigerians are relying on charcoal and firewood as cooking fuels.

Dr. Dietrich Brockhagen, Chief Executive Officer of Atmosfair, in his remark revealed that the cookstove will save about 80 percent of the cost of cooking in Nigeria.

He said, “When I first came to Nigeria 10 years ago, I traveled from the Southwest Lagos up to Katsina, and when I saw the beautiful landscape and I met so many Nigerians and I realized how much forest was degraded.

” I saw many women cooking with firewood, and they were suffering from air pollution due to cooking activities. That is why we innovated the solution to bring an end to carbon emissions. Our research findings showed that the tension between herders and farmers is sometimes linked to erosion and land degradation.

“This is why we brought the efficient cookstove to Nigeria. It is one of the solutions that could transform a lot of things.”

Amb. Faruk Malami-Yabo, Chairman, Board of Advisory of the company and former Nigerian Ambassador to Jordan, said the cookstoves would not only enhance the cooking process but also save the environment from the negative effects of climate change.

He revealed that the company would distribute no fewer than 6.7 million cookstoves over the next five years in the country.

EnergyDay gathered that Atmosfair is an independent German non-profit organization that offers offsets for greenhouse gases emitted by aircraft, cruise ships, long-distance coaches, and events.

Atmosfair initially exported the technology, which was developed in Germany, as a prefabricated stove kit to Nigeria. The company later in 2020, set up a completely local production of the Save80 in Kano.