NGO wants solar cooker for Nigeria

Mr. Joseph Ode, Chairman, AFRES said that the call was based on the need to protect the health of women who use firewood for their daily cooking.
“The motivation factor for the introduction of the solar cooker is to aid and support the federal government’s campaign on checking environmental degradation, forest protection and conservation of the nation’s environment by making it free from carbon emission,” he added.
He said that the solar cooker has the potentials of benefiting all strata of the society stressing that those in the rural areas would benefit more as it would provide them the best option to the use of firewood.
According to Ode, the initiative is being sponsored at present by Global Environmental Facility Small Grant Programme, GEF-SGP under the support of UNDP to provide alternative energy source for use in place of fire wood in New Bussa community of Niger State.
The first phase began with a demonstration of solar cookers that could be used in place of firewood for cooking Nigerian staples in Tungan Ibrahim village.
Under the first phase of the project, 50 youths were trained on replication of solar cooker. The number trained was small compared to that of youth yearning for such training as many wanted to acquire the skill.
Under the project which is a collaboration between the community, AFRES and the international donor agency, the community is expected to provide land for afforestation in which trees were planted with a view to reclaim the environmentally eroded land.
Some members of the communities who took part in a demonstration on how the solar cooker works in Tungan Ibrahim, Salamatu Maigari and Salamatu Sale, said using the solar cooker was faster and better than using firewood.
On whether she has acquired one, she said the product was not made available for sale and that as soon as it is in the market she will buy one, adding that it is smokeless as against the use of fire wood.