MORE than 100 market women in Aboju, Lagos State, have been sensitised on the health and climate dangers of cooking with firewood and other traditional methods, while exposing them to safer and cleaner cooking options.

The women were sensitised during a workshop on Clean Energy organised by Earth and Sustainability Initiative (ESI) in Oja Market, Aboju.
Programme Director, ESI, Ebere Akwuebue, explained that this was part of their advocacy visits to various communities.
She said the initiative was embarked on after they found out that women in most low-income communities and rural areas relied more on unsafe cooking energy such as charcoal, firewood, sawdust and others.

“We came to educate them on the health implications and the fact that their activities, which they do from a good place, is causing danger to themselves, families and the environment,” she said.

According to her, in line with this, they sourced for solutions for alternative cooking resources and are open to collaborations where these alternative sources can be given to the women on a Pay As You Go (PAYG) basis.

She added that such initiatives help reduce the impact of climate change and help the nation achieve net zero emissions target by 2050.
On the alternate cooking resource, she noted that though charcoal is used, the cooking stove uses less charcoal and conserves more heat, making the stove burn better and faster as against the traditional coal pot.

Representing the leader of Aboju-Oja Market, Margaret Igbokwe lauded the initiative, especially for the market women.

She noted that the initiative exposed the women to the health implications of harmful cooking methods and provide healthier alternatives they could access and help keep their environment clean.