Expert Chart Path to Clean Energy Cooking in Nigeria, BURN Leads the Way
- Experts have revealed strategies for Nigeria to accelerate clean energy cooking and meet 2030 climate goals
- BURN Manufacturing Nigeria has also provide insight on how carbon finance has helped subsidise clean cookstoves for low-income households
- Stakeholders wants government to classify clean cookstoves as essential goods to cut costs
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Nigeria’s push toward universal access to clean cooking solutions is gathering pace, but experts say meeting the country’s 2030 target will require more than the mass distribution of cookstoves.
That message dominated discussions at a media roundtable hosted on Wednesday, January 28 organised by BURN Manufacturing Nigeria in Lagos where policymakers, industry leaders and journalists examined how carbon markets, tax policy and local manufacturing can accelerate Nigeria’s clean cooking transition.
Source: Getty Images
The event, held at L’Eola Hotel in Ikeja and themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Clean Cooking Future: Carbon Markets, Tax Policy and Local Markets,” came amid key policy shifts, including the launch of the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Policy, planned tax reforms in 2026 and renewed emphasis on standards enforcement.
Expert chart path to clean energy in Nigeria
Speaking on the journey so far, Etulan Ikpoki, BURN’s Country Manager noted that:
“Clean cooking is one of the few climate solutions Nigeria can scale quickly, credibly and at the household level.
"To date, we have impacted over 27 million lives. We’ve saved more than 29.6 million tons of wood, reduced carbon emissions by 50.9 million tons, and saved households over a billion dollars all through the products we provide."
She added the company is a social business on a mission to save lives and forests.
Ikpoki added:
"Our goal is to help people move up the energy ladder is not about selling, which is why we focus on rural areas. Since 2018, we have distributed over 650,000 clean cookstoves across Nigeria, reaching more than two million people nationwide. Our manufacturing facility in Kano produces around 100,000 stoves each month with a target of 5 million stoves by 2030. We also employs over 700 people, half of whom are women.
"The company plans to scale production as demand grows and currently operates in 12 countries, offering home delivery and a functional customer support system to ensure the products are used correctly and customers’ needs are attended to."
However, speakers stressed that clean cooking is not simply a manufacturing challenge.
Carbon finance emerged as a key enabler of affordability.
Chidi Ohaji, BURN’s B2C Manager, explained how verified emissions reductions from cleaner cooking are converted into carbon credits, which are sold to corporate buyers and used to subsidise stove prices.
Ohaji said:
“That funding allows us to reduce the upfront cost of stoves by as much as 60 to 100% for low-income households.”
H also noted that transparency and data integrity are critical for sustaining investor confidence in carbon markets.
Tax and clean cooking gas future
Fiscal policy was another focal point. Panelists argued that clean cookstoves continue to face import duties and VAT, even when locally produced, while dirtier fuels benefit from long-standing subsidy structures.
Chijoke Odo, Indirect Tax Partner at Deloitte, said targeted tax reforms could quickly tilt the balance.
Source: Getty Images
Odo said:
“If government wants local manufacturing, jobs and climate outcomes, tax policy has to reflect those priorities."
He added that classifying clean cookstoves as essential household goods could significantly reduce prices.
Other speakers included Olamide Fagbuji, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology and Operations at the Office of the President; Victoria Onuoha, who oversees the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s (MAN) environment and green manufacturing initiatives; and Naomi Nwokolo, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Nigeria.
The roundtable also featured a demonstration of BURN’s product range, including wood, charcoal, ethanol, electric and gas cookstoves, with the company confirming plans to introduce new electric models in Nigeria in the coming months.
Beyond technology, participants highlighted human impact. Testimonials from households across several states showed reduced fuel costs, cleaner kitchens and improved health outcomes following the switch to efficient stoves.
By the end of the session, consensus had emerged that Nigeria’s clean cooking barriers are no longer technical. The challenge now lies in policy coordination, financing and scale.
FG to distribute clean cookstoves
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that 80 million Nigerians are set to receive free clean cookstoves and N10,000 monthly stipends from the federal government.
This is under the largest clean cooking initiative - the 80m PACM (Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism) Clean Cookstoves Project, - and will further the drive for clean energy and environmental sustainability and promote eco-friendly cooking solutions in Nigeria.
The president and Chief Executive Officer of GreenPlinth Africa, Dr. Olawale Akinwumi, disclosed this while speaking at the project implementation retreat in Lagos
Source: Legit.ng
