The use of firewood and charcoal for cooking in Africa is causing the deaths of an estimated 600,000 women and children every year, according to African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwunmi Adesina. Speaking at the Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Adesina highlighted the devastating health toll associated with a lack of access to clean cooking solutions across the continent.
“Today, we have 1.2 billion women in Africa without access to clean cooking, and we lose 300,000 children every single year because of the secondary effects of smoke. We also lose 300,000 women annually,” Adesina said during a panel discussion with representatives from the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank.
The summit, themed “Mission 300,” is a collaborative effort involving the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and other global partners. It aims to address Africa’s energy access challenges using innovative financing and technology. Hosted by the Government of Tanzania, the event seeks actionable solutions to close the electricity access gap on the continent.
Adesina described the deaths caused by unsafe cooking methods as a “needless tragedy” and called for urgent action to prevent such loss of life.
“Why should anybody have to die just for trying to cook a decent meal that is taken for granted in other parts of the world? That is not acceptable. In good conscience, we just can’t do that,” he said.
To tackle this issue, the AfDB has pledged $2 billion toward achieving universal access to clean cooking in Africa. However, Adesina stressed that an estimated $4 billion in annual funding is required to meet this goal.
He praised countries like Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana for committing to achieving 100% access to clean cooking solutions by 2030. He emphasized that this initiative is not just about energy transition but about saving lives and preserving dignity.
Also Read:
- Slapping Children Can Cause Deafness, Paediatrician Warns
- FG Focuses on Lagos Amid Human Metapneumovirus Alert
Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, expressed optimism about the initiative, calling it achievable with the right strategies in place. He underscored the importance of fostering private sector involvement by ensuring predictable currencies, stable regulatory frameworks, and streamlined land acquisition processes.
Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, echoed these sentiments, urging global philanthropists to support the initiative. “This is a matter of urgency,” Shah said, while committing $65 million from the Rockefeller Foundation to the programme.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also emphasized the transformative potential of energy access for rural communities. She highlighted how energy solutions could drive advancements in digital financial services, online education, and e-commerce, particularly benefiting women and youth.
“Energy access has the power to transform lives in ways that go far beyond cooking,” Mohammed stated. However, she stressed that achieving these goals would require substantial financial reforms and private-sector engagement.
The summit is expected to culminate in two significant outcomes: the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration and the first set of National Energy Compacts. The declaration will outline actionable commitments and reforms by African governments, while the compacts will set country-specific targets and timelines for implementing critical energy sector changes.
As the summit unfolds, the message is clear: the lives of millions of African women and children depend on urgent, coordinated action to provide clean cooking solutions. For Adesina, the initiative goes beyond numbers; it is about preserving life and dignity. “We must do everything in our power to ensure no one dies simply because they need to cook a meal,” he said.