The Nigeria government, through the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in partnership with IHS Towers of Strength, has expanded access to clean cooking energy in Abuja.
The initiatives aimed at replacing firewood and charcoal with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in more than 12,500 households to improve public health and protect the environment.
The project, known as Project Breathe Clean Air–Abuja, reached its grand finale in Bwari Area Council with the distribution of LPG cylinders, burners and refill vouchers to beneficiaries as part of efforts to reduce indoor air pollution and smoke-related illnesses.
Speaking at the event, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCTA, said the programme was designed to address the harmful health effects associated with cooking with firewood.
“This contributes to respiratory infections, allergies, burns and environmental pollution, ” she explained.
She stated that the administration adopted a proactive approach by providing households with a practical alternative before discouraging the use of firewood, leading to the launch of the Abuja Breathe Clean Air Initiative through funding support from IHS Towers.
According to her, the project has successfully transitioned over 12,500 households from firewood and charcoal to cleaner cooking energy, resulting in healthier homes, improved productivity for small-scale food vendors and reduced household cooking costs.
Beneficiaries also received two refill vouchers to encourage sustained use of LPG.
“While an average household spends about ₦1,500 daily on firewood, a gas refill costing about ₦4,000 can last more than a month, making LPG a cheaper, cleaner and more sustainable option,” she said.
The Mandate Secretary added that the FCTA hopes to gradually develop policies that will encourage the adoption of clean cooking energy across Abuja.
Representing the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Services Officer, Dapo Otunla, said the initiative reflects IHS Nigeria’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community well-being.
He said the project aligns with the company’s sustainability pillars of environment and climate change, as well as people and communities, by reducing dependence on biomass fuels, lowering indoor air pollution and improving the quality of life for women, children and vulnerable households.
Otunla said that IHS Nigeria fulfilled its commitment by distributing a total of 10,000 LPG cylinders in two phases across the FCT, while also enrolling 2,000 beneficiaries into the company’s “Clinic Without Walls” health insurance scheme.
He commended the partnership between IHS Nigeria, the FCTA, traditional institutions and community leaders, describing it as a model of collaboration that transformed a shared vision into measurable impact through cleaner energy, better health outcomes and stronger community resilience.
One of the beneficiaries, Sarah Monday from Bwari, expressed gratitude for receiving her first gas cylinder.
“The support will make cooking easier for my family,” she stated.
The beneficiary thanked the organisers for providing training on the safe use of LPG and promised to adopt clean cooking in her household.
