- 3,500 households in Bauchi State would benefit from the stoves as the state targets climate change mitigation.
- Governor Bala Mohammed approved the production of 360 locally made energy-friendly stoves for N4m to curb the felling of trees.
The Bauchi State Government has launched energy-saving stoves to curb the effects of climate change. The Project Coordinator for Climate Justice for Oxfam in Nigeria, Kenneth Akpan, in his remark at the launch, commended the government, stating it was a positive move. Akpan, who is also the National Coordinator for Africa Activities for Climate Justice in Nigeria, said, “Before now, we had engaged the state in capacity building and advocacy engagements towards pushing for budgetary allocation to see how the state can take climate matters seriously, particularly in the area of deforestation, which is serious in Bauchi.
“Alternatively, people will need energy, but implementing such policies can be difficult without an alternative solution. So we have encouraged the use of energy-saving stoves to reduce the volume of trees felled while the government is trying to proffer permanent solutions to these issues. So we are happy to see that as part of our engagement, the state is leading in trying to see that these climate actions are being taken seriously. We feel it is a plus to our engagement with different Ministries, Departments and Agencies and stakeholders, and we feel it should be applauded.”
In his remark, Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Mr Danlami Kawule, reiterated the commitment of the state government to mitigate the effect of climate change. He disclosed that 3,500 households would benefit from the stoves. In addition, he stressed that the issue of climate change is a challenge the administration was ready to tackle to protect the people’s interest. Kawule noted that using these stoves would limit carbon emissions, improve the health and economy of beneficiaries, and curb deforestation. Recall that the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, had approved the production of 360 locally made energy-friendly stoves for N4 million to curb the felling of trees.