By Faridat Salifu
More than one billion people in Africa still cook with polluting fuels like wood, charcoal, dung, and agricultural residue relying heavily on open fires or basic stoves that pose serious health, environmental, and societal risks, an IEA recent report says .
The report estimates that these cooking methods cause around 815,000 premature deaths annually in Africa due to exposure to fine particulates that damage the lungs, heart, and vascular system .
Global figures show about 2.3 billion people use rudimentary cookstoves, with the health impacts including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections, stroke, cataracts, and reduced birth weights .
The climate impact is also significant: emissions from traditional cooking equal annual GHGs from global aviation about 540 million tonnes per year .
Africa is clearing up to 1.3 million hectares of forest each year due to firewood demand, reducing crucial carbon sinks and contributing to CO₂ emissions .
Economic losses linked to smoke-related health care and productivity are vast; the World Bank estimates Africa loses up to $330 billion yearly, while in Nigeria alone over 98,000 annual deaths are attributed to household air pollution surpassing malaria fatalities .
The gender impact is profound: women and girls spend about four hours daily collecting fuel and cooking time that could be used for education or income-generating activities .
This inequality exacerbates health issues, evidenced by UNICEF data documenting low birthweight and childhood respiratory problems due to indoor air pollution .
Despite the urgency, sub-Saharan Africa remains behind: while Asia and Latin America halved clean cooking deficits since 2010, Africa’s numbers have grown to about 1 billion users .
The IEA’s May 2023 Clean Cooking Summit in Paris generated $2.2 billion in pledges, but only $470 million has been disbursed so far .
The IEA’s new ACCESS pathway requires $37 billion through 2040 roughly $2 billion annually, or 0.1 percent of global energy investment to achieve universal clean cooking by 2040 .
Solutions like LPG stoves, electric hotplates linked to mini-grids, ethanol and biogas, and improved biomass stoves are scalable now .
Countries that signed the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 equivalent for clean cooking saw a 12 percent reduction in reliance; non-signatories saw +25 percent increase .
Countries already delivering include Kenya and Nigeria, extending clean cooking access to 2.7 percent of their population annually via LPG expansion similar to Asia’s success rate .
Local policy examples show impact: Kenya removed VAT on LPG stoves and cylinders in March 2024, doubling monthly uptake in rural areas like Kisumu and Makueni .
In Nigeria, clean cooking remains urban-focused; rural LPG use lags, with less than 7 percent adoption in many northern states .
Public‑sector clean cooking manufacturing is expanding, such as a stove plant in Malawi and LPG programs in Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire .
If scaled by 2040, these measures could prevent 4.7 million premature deaths in sub‑Saharan Africa, save 600 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, and create over 460,000 jobs in manufacturing, distribution, and service sectors .
Public health support comes from WHO and Lancet data, showing household air pollution causes millions of deaths—recent studies estimate 3.1–3.8 million globally per year .
Economists and health experts argue clean cooking infrastructure is comparable to roads or water systems, enabling health, climate and gender gains simultaneously .
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said: “For once and for all, minimal annual investment can lift hundreds of millions out of energy poverty, protect forests, and save lives” .
Climate and gender advocates, including Dr Jumoke Sanwo from the African Energy Policy Institute, say clean cooking is not charity, but foundational infrastructure requiring sustained policy, finance, and local production support .
African governments must scale policies, reduce tariffs, support women‑led stove producers, expand subsidies, and integrate clean cooking into national development plans to close the gap before 2040 .
Despite historic underinvestment, the technical solutions exist. The challenge now lies in political will and financial mobilization to accelerate clean cooking access and end one of Africa’s most silent yet deadly crises.
