By Nkechi Eze
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has said over eighty thousand Nigerian women die yearly as a result of toxic smoke from firewood and traditional cooking stoves.
To this effect, she has launched a stakeholder engagement protocol aimed at ending energy poverty among Nigerian women. The event which held on Thursday 23rd April, 2025 at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja is aimed at delivering clean energy solutions to women across all 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
According to the Minister, these Women whose death is avoidable and unjust are mothers, providers, and nation-builders, and as such the deaths must end.
She added that 43% of the 85 million population of Nigerian women lack access to electricity, especially women in the rural communities, noting that absence of electricity is absence of opportunity, dignity, safety and hope.
Hajiya Imaan further stated that efforts to build a natural clean energy ecosystem to foster financial institutions, local manufacturers, global tech firms, women’s cooperatives, and development agencies are in top gear.
She said the plans to end energy poverty for Nigerian women, through these efforts aimed to reach Nigerian women across all 774 Local Government Areas, delivering lifesaving and life-changing clean energy solutions.
“Every year, over 80,000 Nigerian women die prematurely from the toxic smoke of firewood and traditional cooking stoves. Eighty thousand lives cut short while simply trying to prepare a meal.
“These women are not statistics. They are mothers. They are providers. They are nation-builders. Their deaths are avoidable, unjust, and must end on our watch.
“Today, we commence our stakeholder engagements as we actualize plans for ending energy poverty for Nigerian women… Their deaths are avoidable, unjust, and must end on our watch.” – Honourable Minister of Women Affairs stated
The Minister said energy poverty is not just a technical challenge, but a social injustice which has locked women in cycles of unpaid labour, economic dependence, and health risks.
According to her, in many communities, women spend up to 8 hours a week gathering firewood, noting that such time could have been deployed to a more productive engagement if only they had power.
“Through this initiative, we will provide energy access through solar home systems, clean cooking technologies, solar water pumps, e-mobility tools, and other productive-use appliances in every corner of this nation”, she added.
It is expected through this program 80,000 lives will be saved annually from premature deaths caused by energy poverty.
The initiative will empower women with clean energy solutions, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The initiative also aims at providing homes with solar power, reducing dependence on firewood and traditional stoves. Women will gain access to modern clean cooking technologies, solar-powered tools, and energy-efficient solutions. The program seeks to establish a national clean energy ecosystem that unites ministries, financial institutions, local manufacturers, and development agencies to foster economic growth and development among Nigerian women.
