The
Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the purchase of
N9.2billion worth of clean cook stoves and wonder bags for rural women
under the National Clean Cooking Scheme.
Wonder bag is a
non-electric slow cooker invented by Sarah Collins, a south African
eco-entreprenuer, who came up with the idea six years ago during a power
cut, when she decided to keep her dinner cooking by surrounding the pan
with cushions.
The council also awarded a
contract of N60.9billion to an indigenous firm, KaKatar CE Limited, for
the provision of engineering infrastructure for Kyami District, Zone C,
Abuja.
Supervising Minister of Information, Dr. Nurudeen
Muhammed; Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrecia Mallam; and Minister of
the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed, briefed State
House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided over by Vice
President Namadi Sambo.
Muhammed said the N9.2billion inclusive
of Value Added Tax was approved for the procurement of 750,000 units of
clean cook stove and 18,000 wonder bags.
He said the stoves are
expected to be delivered by Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services
Limited within a period of 12 weeks.
He noted that the stoves which will be assembled locally, will provide jobs to Nigerians among other benefits.
The
minister said, “The National Clean Cooking Scheme is an aggressive
drive to engender clean cooking culture amongst the poor rural women, to
reduce and possibly eliminate cooking with solid fossil which is
detrimental to health.
“The scheme is expected to provide 20
million clean stoves over a five-year period at the rate of four million
stoves yearly which will be distributed without charge.
“It will also reduce incessant felling of trees which exposes the country to ecological problems.
Credit: Olalekan Adetayo/Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment