Over 98,000 Nigerian Women Die Annually From Firewood Use, Minister Reveals

The Nigerian Minister for Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has raised alarm over the devastating health impacts of firewood use, revealing that over 98,000 Nigerian women die annually due to exposure to harmful smoke from cooking with firewood.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the practice of cooking multiple meals a day using firewood is as dangerous as smoking up to 20 packs of cigarettes daily, significantly increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim, speaking at the Flag-Off of the Benue State National Gas Expansion Programme Stakeholders Consultative Forum in Benin on Monday, emphasized the urgent need for a transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources.

She described the move as essential not only for the health and safety of women but also for economic development and environmental sustainability.

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“The transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy is no longer an option; it is a necessity for our survival and progress,” the Minister said.

Highlighting the severe risks posed by traditional cooking methods, Sulaiman-Ibrahim pointed out that prolonged exposure to smoke from firewood cooking contributes to the staggering number of deaths among Nigerian women.

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“If a woman cooks breakfast, lunch, and dinner using firewood, it is equivalent to smoking between three and 20 packets of cigarettes a day,” she added.

The Minister stressed that cleaner energy alternatives, such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), offer an effective solution to reduce the harmful effects of cooking with firewood.