The Minister of Women Affairs Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim has disclosed that about 80,000 Nigerian Women die annually due to toxic smoke from firewood and traditional cooking stoves.
She made the statement at a stakeholders’ engagement on Ending Energy Poverty for Nigerian Women and Families held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Minister lamented that these lives are cut short annually while women are simply trying to cook meals.
She regretted that these deaths are avoidable, unjust and must come to an end.
The Minister stated that the stakeholders’ engagement is part of a broader initiative to end energy poverty among Nigerian Women, with a goal to reach women across the country’s 774 Local Government Areas and provide them with life-saving and life-changing clean energy solutions.
According to Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim, energy poverty is a social injustice, not just a technical issue, trapping women in cycles of unpaid labour, economic dependency and health risks.
The Minister commended the Nigeria Consumer Credit Corporation for co-hosting the event and called on all partners to actively work towards providing sustainable and inclusive energy access.