FG to buy N9bn cooking stoves, Wonderbags

The federal executive ‎council has approved the award of contract for the procurement of 750,000 units of “clean” cooking stove and 18,000 Wonderbags for the National Clean Cooking Scheme.

Over 20 million clean stoves will be distributed free of charge in the next five years under the scheme aimed at reducing fuel costs, felling of trees and carbon emission.

The Wonderbag (pictured) is a non-electric slow cooker invented by Sarah Collins, ‎a South African eco-entrepreneur.

She developed the idea six years ago during a power cut. She kept her dinner cooking by surrounding the pan with cushions.

Each Wonderbag is reputed as preventing the emission of half a ton of carbon dioxide a year and could save a poor family a tenth of their income by cutting fuel costs.

The council was presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

The scheme is an aggressive drive for “clean cooking” culture among the rural women.

This is to be done by reducing and eventually eliminating cooking with solid fossil.

Briefing the media at the end of the meeting, the overseeing minister of information, Nurudeen Mohammed, said it will also reduce incessant felling of trees which exposes the country to ecological problems.

Mohammed said: “The additional benefit to Nigeria in switching over to this technology by the rural households is the carbon credits arising from the registration by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The country stands to gain 50 per cent subsidy of the price through the generated carbon credits.

“Council noted that these stoves will be locally assembled and provide jobs to Nigerians among other benefits and unanimously ratified Mr. President’s anticipatory approval for the contract in favours of Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited in the sum of N9,287,250,000.00 inclusive of VAT,  with a delivery period of 12 weeks.

“We are going to distribute irrespective of political affiliation. This government has demonstrated that it is above board in partisan politics, it will be distributed equitably to women in this country.”