The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Titilayo Oshodi. The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Titilayo Oshodi, has said the proposed deployment of 80 million green cookstoves across Nigeria could significantly improve public health, create jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and accelerate the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
She said growing international interest in the programme reflects a shift towards practical climate solutions capable of delivering measurable environmental and economic benefits. “The future of climate action extends beyond ambition alone. It is built on implementation-ready projects that are capable of delivering measurable impact on the environment, economic opportunity, public health improvement, and scalable community transformation,” Oshodi said.
According to her, more than 900 million Africans still rely on traditional biomass and inefficient cooking methods, contributing to deforestation, environmental degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and health challenges. She stressed that clean cooking should be viewed beyond energy access.
“Clean cooking must be recognised not simply as an energy conversation but as a climate solution, a health intervention, a gender empowerment strategy, an economic inclusion mechanism and a pathway towards sustainable development,” she said. Oshodi highlighted the outcome of pilot projects conducted in Makoko, Lagos, the pilot state for the initiative, noting that the programme recorded significant improvements in fuel efficiency and household energy consumption.
She disclosed that baseline assessments showed households using conventional firewood stoves consumed an average of 10 kilogrammes of firewood daily, while larger households used as much as 33 kilogrammes. “The pilot results showed a dramatic reduction in average daily consumption from 10 kilogrammes to approximately 1.37 kilogrammes per day.
This is not incremental progress; this is transformational efficiency,” she said. She further noted that the project presents opportunities in climate finance, carbon markets, local manufacturing, women’s empowerment, and green enterprise development. “The 80 million green stove initiative sits at the intersection of climate action, carbon markets, green industrialisation, women’s empowerment, job creation, sustainable infrastructure and inclusive economic growth,” she said.
Oshodi called for stronger collaboration among governments, investors, development partners, manufacturers, and local communities to ensure successful implementation. Related News Bayelsa moves against illegal adoption practices Good governance beyond politics – Fashola Lagos justice ministry prioritises, digital transformation — AG “Government alone cannot drive this transition.
The private sector alone cannot guarantee widespread adoption. The opportunity before us is immense, the responsibility is shared, and the time to act is now,” she added. The Chairman of the event, Alhaji Ibrahim Jubril, who is the Emir of Nasarawa and President of the Nasarawa Emirate Council, described the adoption of clean cooking technologies as a critical step towards improving public health, reducing environmental degradation, and unlocking economic opportunities across Nigeria.
Drawing from his experience as a former Minister of State for Environment, he said climate interventions must be tailored to local realities, noting that strategies that work in Lagos may not be directly applicable in states such as Niger, Benue, and Nasarawa because of differences in geography, population spread, and logistics.
He cited the destruction of economic trees such as shea butter trees in parts of northern Nigeria due to charcoal production, warning that continued deforestation poses serious environmental and economic consequences. The traditional ruler also highlighted global progress in clean cooking adoption, referencing the 2025 report of the Clean Cooking Alliance, which documented policy reforms and investments in countries such as Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Nepal.