Public health experts in Nigeria are raising alarms over the severe health risks linked to traditional cooking methods, with only 10% of Nigerian households using clean energy sources.
The widespread reliance on firewood, charcoal, and kerosene is contributing to a significant rise in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, including lung cancer.
According to health professionals, the use of these polluting fuels exposes millions of Nigerians to harmful substances, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to cause cancer. Speaking with *PUNCH Healthwise*, these experts emphasized the urgent need for a nationwide transition to clean energy sources like gas, electricity, and solar power to mitigate the growing health crisis.
Recently, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, highlighted the critical situation by revealing that only one in ten households in the country has access to clean cooking technologies. Lawal expressed concern over the continued use of traditional cooking methods, noting that they are not only causing deforestation and climate change but are also placing an immense burden on women, who are disproportionately affected by indoor air pollution.
“The traditional use of firewood and other polluting fuels is not just a matter of health but also an environmental issue. It is claiming lives, causing deforestation, and contributing to climate change,” the minister warned.
Public health experts underscored that the majority of Nigerians continue to use firewood and charcoal due to the rising cost of cooking gas. This situation, they argue, exacerbates the health risks associated with indoor air pollution. Professor Tanimola Akande, a public health expert at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, stressed the dangers of non-clean energy sources.
“These energy sources release harmful pollutants, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds, which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” Akande explained. He further noted that prolonged exposure to these pollutants increases the risk of lung cancer, eye irritation, and other serious health issues.
Akande also pointed out that women and children are particularly vulnerable. “Women, who do most of the cooking, and children are at greater risk due to their prolonged exposure to indoor air pollution. For children, this can lead to pneumonia and asthmatic attacks, while pregnant women face increased risks of delivering babies with low birth weight and preterm births,” he added.
The professor called for stronger governmental action to make clean energy cooking accessible and affordable for all Nigerians, highlighting the need for public awareness campaigns to educate the population about the dangers of non-clean energy sources. He also emphasized the importance of sustainable forest management and reforestation to combat deforestation caused by traditional cooking methods.
Supporting this view, Professor Best Ordinioha of the University of Port Harcourt compared cooking with firewood to smoking a packet of cigarettes per hour. He noted that women, due to their role in cooking, are especially susceptible to respiratory diseases and that children are also at high risk of developing pneumonia and asthma.
“Clean energy cooking methods, such as gas and electricity, produce little to no smoke or pollutants, significantly reducing the risk of respiratory diseases,” Ordinioha said. He also suggested the use of smokeless stoves that utilize coal, charcoal, or sawdust as a cost-effective alternative that can reduce both cooking time and air pollution.
Dr. Solomon Olorunfemi, a senior registrar at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, echoed these concerns, warning that non-clean energy sources could cause serious respiratory problems, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and pneumonia. He highlighted that women using non-clean energy sources are two to three times more likely to suffer from COPD than those using cleaner fuels.
Olorunfemi further explained that children under five are particularly vulnerable to the effects of indoor air pollution, which doubles their risk of contracting pneumonia and contributes to over half of the deaths among children from acute lower respiratory infections.
“Clean energy cooking methods not only improve indoor air quality and reduce health risks but also contribute to environmental preservation by reducing forest degradation and global warming,” Olorunfemi noted. However, he acknowledged that poverty, lack of awareness, and resistance to change are significant barriers to the adoption of clean energy cooking methods.
All three experts agreed on the need for comprehensive public awareness campaigns, stronger political will, and policies that promote the accessibility and affordability of clean energy sources. They urged the government to take immediate action to address the health risks associated with non-clean energy cooking methods and to foster a nationwide transition to cleaner, healthier alternatives.