The
ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Ebrima Njie, has launched a new
regional cooking stove program as part of efforts to promote efficient cooking
energy in West Africa.
The program launched at the Bio-energy forum in Bamako, Mali, last week was an ECOWAS-EU-GIZ initiative designed to help member countries by developing efficient cooking facilities.
Commissioner Njie thanked the Manager of Energy Services at the GIZ Ms Marlis Kees and their office in Abuja for working tirelessly with the ECOWAS Directorate of Energy in developing the program.
Mr. Njie described the program as a solid and win-win partnership co-financed by the European Union, GIZ and ECOWAS.He said the lessons learned will be shared with the international community interested in the dissemination of cleaner and more efficient cooking tools.
The Commissioner also called for the strengthening of local support institutions to ensure that the stoves disseminated are really adapted and of good quality.
Mr. Njie noted that the EU-GIZ program for efficient cooking energy in West Africa will develop collaboration with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, ECREEE, and national research institutions.
He hoped that these institutions will be able to fulfill their roles in technological development and quality control, even after the end of the program.
Mr, Njie pointed out that ECOWAS is in favour of this approach, and supports the creation of sustainable structures for production and technological development related to efficient and clean cooking stoves.
Also speaking at the ceremony was the Manager of Energy Services at the GIZ, Ms Marlis Kees, who disclosed that they have a global alliance on clean cooking headed by the UN Foundation, which aims at providing additional 100 million homes with access to clean cooking, as well as cooking energy, by 2020 and 2030 respectively.