Ebonyi develops implementation, funding plans for clean cooking

The Ebonyi state government has developed implementation and finance plans to support the state’s clean cooking programme. 

The plan was presented at the Second Ebonyi State Clean Cooking Forum, held on Thursday, at the Staff Development Center, Ebonyi State. 

The Forum was organised by the State Inter-ministerial Clean Cooking Committee with support from the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the International Center for Energy and Environment (ICEED).

In her goodwill message, the wife of the Governor of the State, who was represented by her Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Donatus Owo, expressed gratitude to both the Heinrich Boell Foundation and ICEED for their work on clean cooking in the state. 

She committed to continue providing leadership to the Inter-ministerial Committee and ensuring that the programme receives all the necessary support from the government. 

She urged local government councils to integrate this into their local empowerment plans to benefit the teeming unemployed youths in their local communities

In his remarks, Dr. Stephen Odo, Commissioner of Commerce and Industry in Ebonyi State, thanked all members of the inter-ministerial committee for their tireless efforts in validating the documents that will lay the fundamental frameworks for empowering youths and promoting job creation. 

“The clean cooking sector is capable of growing the employment status of youths and women across the state. Job creation is the perspective of this assignment that resonates with me.  Both the implementation and funding plans would facilitate this aspect and speed of job creation within the state,” he said. 

The Executive Director, ICEED, Ewah Eleri, thanked the state government for providing an enabling environment that has enhanced the productive collaboration between the state government and ICEED, which has contributed to placing the state high up on the ladder of states promoting clean cooking. 

“With these two vital documents, Ebonyi has overtaken every state in Nigeria in developing policy instruments for clean cooking. Other states may have developed clean cooking programmes, but none has developed implementation and financing plans to ensure the programme’s long-term viability. Ebonyi is the number one in Nigeria,” he said. 

In his goodwill message, Jochen Luckscheiter, Country Director Heinrich Boell Stiftung, expressed his gratitude to the state government for sustaining the clean cooking momentum. 

“It is worthwhile that the state has gone ahead and produced these two documents. It would be nice if these documents did not end up on paper; rather, stakeholders should intensify efforts to implement them for the benefit of the people,” he said.

Mrs. Vivian Iyele, Vice Chairman of Abakaliki LGA, spoke on behalf of other LGA Chairmen of LGAs and assured stakeholders of the determination of local government councils to implement clean cooking programmes throughout Ebonyi State’s LGAs.

 The Forum was attended by personnel of relevant government ministries, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), the organised private sector, and the media. 

The Ebonyi State Clean Cooking Programme has received funding and support from the Heinrich Böll Stiftung and ICEED for about two years. 

In 2021, the project supported the production of a clean cooking programme for the state and the formation of an inter-ministerial committee comprising the Ministries of Health, Environment, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Trade and Investment, Women’s Affairs and Social Development, and Commerce and Industry.