August 12, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State Council Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Samuel Numenengi, has called on the government and public-spirited individuals in the state, to empower rural households with energy-efficient cookstoves which are available, informing that energy-efficient cookstoves are crucial to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7), Affordable and Clean Energy.
Comrade Numenengi made the appeal after the Bayelsa State women leader of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and immediate past Senior Special Assistant (SSA), to the governor on Special Duties, Hon. Ebimotimi Paulson Leghemo, did a demonstration of energy-efficient cookstoves in Yenagoa recently.
The number one journalist in the state, while applauding Senator Douye Diri for taking proactive actions to conserve the environment through his eco-friendly policies, geared towards achieving goals 7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thanked the deputy national President of AFAN, Mr Confidence Mac-Eteli – an indigene of Bayelsa state, who doubles as the South-South coordinator for the Atmosfair Save80 Clean Cookstoves project.
He reiterated that using energy-efficient cookstoves to empower rural households would ensure that rural communities have easy access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.
In his remarks, the immediate past Senior Special Assistant (SSA), to the Governor on Tourism, who also doubles as the Chairman of BRACED Tourism Promotion & Development Initiative (BTPDI) board, Dr Piriye Kiyaramo, noted that the widespread adoption of these energy-efficient cookstoves in rural communities would significantly reduce the adverse effects of greenhouse gas emissions in line with global best practices.
Dr Kiyaramo maintained that incorporating Atmosfair Save80 Clean Cookstoves into existing ecotourism initiatives would further enhance tourism offerings, engaging travellers and residents in sustainable tourism practices, supporting local communities to showcase their products to enable visitors to experience authentic cultural exchange, pointing out that the energy-efficient stoves emit fewer greenhouse gases, contributing less to climate change.
Earlier, the deputy national president of AFAN, Mr Confidence Mac-Eteli, had explained that the Atmosfair cookstoves were designed to reduce risks of burns, fires and indoor air pollution, recording high productivity, saving time by cooking food faster than ordinary cooking stoves on the market.
The AFAN State Women Leader, Hon. Ebimotimi Paulson Leghemo, said that the Atmosfair Save80 Clean Cookstoves, which are energy-efficient, reduce fuel consumption, saving households money and time, just as she hinted at plans by the promoters to train persons to produce pellets to replace the use of charcoal with a view to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.
Apart from cost-saving and potential income generation, Hon. Paulson Leghemo said time saved from reduced cooking times could be allocated to other productive activities while cooking with the energy-efficient cookstoves, assuring that Atmosfair Save80 Clean Cookstoves would support sustainable energy consumption as they reduce reliance on fossil fuels, helping communities to adapt to climate change and reduce vulnerability to fuel price volatility, promoting energy-efficient cookstove use in local communities.
On his part, the Director of the South-South Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Empowerment of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Timiebi Kiyaramo, lauded the energy-efficient cookstoves initiative, promising to introduce the Atmosfair Save80 Clean Cookstoves to churches in the region to empower rural households.
Also speaking, a Senior Special Assistant to the governor on New Media and consultant, Hon. Dave Asei, emphasised the need to have a well-articulated media strategy to disseminate information about energy-efficient cookstoves to ensure that every household in the state benefits from the product.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
