Introduction

The Federal Government's efforts to provide efficient cooking energy services have over the years been embedded in various policy initiatives. Since the 1970s, the focus has been on providing subsidized kerosene to enable households in rural and urban areas to benefit from the wealth created by the petroleum sector. However, while the kerosene subsidy policy enabled affordable energy for household cooking and lighting, its financial cost on the treasury had over the years become unbearable and the toll on human health unacceptable.
 

With the redirection of government policy towards the expansion of the role of gas in national development, it became clear that a shift from kerosene to LPG is required. Increased switch from kerosene to LPG could free billions of US dollars locked into the subsidy scheme, and will have enormous public health benefits.
 

The vigorous pursuit of gas as a transition fuel and the Federal Government's increasing interest in enhancing the efficiency of the use of fuelwood in rural areas are coming at the right time. Both gas and renewable sources of cooking fuels and energy are providing new opportunities for the country to meet economic growth targets, address health and social goals as well as in meeting international environmental obligations.
 

With Nigeria's commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change, it became necessary to focus attention on cooking energy as one of the key sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The Federal Government is responding to this challenge by ensuring that government policies on clean cooking are more comprehensive, consistent and coherent in meeting the economic, social and environmental goals of the government.