Saudi Arabia partners FG on job creation, clean cooking

In a move to provide cleaner cooking solutions and creating jobs, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Oil and Sustainability Program (OSP), through its Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking Initiative (Forward7), in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, launched the National Human Capacity Training Programme for the adoption of LPG for clean cooking in Edo State.

According to a statement, the initiative aimed to bridge the availability and accessibility gaps in the adoption of LPG for cooking, with a strategic plan involving the establishment of micro-distribution points of retail outlets across the country.

The programme will see the establishment of numerous micro-distribution points and retail outlets throughout Nigeria, and will be facilitated by mobilisation, sensitisation, and training of local communities.

“This collaborative effort represents a major commitment by the Nigerian government to its environmental and social development goals, which also aligns with the Kingdom’s Middle East Green Initiative (MGI)’s Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking Initiative, launched in 2021 with the aim of providing clean cooking solutions to 750 million people worldwide,” it said.

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It said the programme led by OSP specifically targets populations who face health risks and environmental damage due to harmful traditional cooking practices like using coal and wood.