Sopuruchi Onwuka

Indigenous gas company driving penetration of clean cooking fuel in the country, Smart Energies, is calling for enhanced collaboration with advocates, agencies and corporate institutions in making liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) affordable to poor homes in the country.

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The company already has collaboration with few advocates like Women in Energy Network (WIEN) on sponsored LPG distribution that target poor rural families.

Under the existing initiative driven by the company so far, partners assist with sponsored supply of entry kits to persuade poor homes overcome the cost burden of switching from high polluting firewood, charcoal and kerosene to clean burning gas.

The partnership between Smart Energies and WIEN finds convergence in shared vision of making the kitchen environment safer, healthier and more efficient for women and girls in the country.

President of WIEN, Mrs Eyono Fatai-Williams, had stated during the launch of the partnership that sponsored distribution of entry packages that include gas cylinders and cookers would drastically reduce incidents of death and health complications associated with kitchen pollution affecting women in the country.

Managing Director of Smart Energies, Dr Yinka Opeke, explains that making cooking gas available at low cost has become critical to the success of government’s gas expansion programmes.

She declared in video notes that Smart Energies now wants to make progress made in switching and penetration programmes sustainable with a social intervention in gas bills.

She explains that whereas migration of cooking fuel consumption from high polluting sources to clean cooking gas remains critical, sustainability of usage remains fundamental to avoid a slide-back to traditional fuels.

To this end, she said, Smart Energies is consolidating the process with Gas Subsidy Programme that also harnesses private and public interventions in making LPG cheaper for low income homes in the country.

Describing the initiative as first of its kind in the drive towards clean cooking programmes in the nation, Dr Opeke stated that Smart Energies would be seeking structured collaboration and partnership with public spirited individuals, political figures, government agencies and corporate institutions in supporting agent distribution network for reaching target beneficiaries.

Under the arrangement, the company and its sponsoring partners would prospect and profile target beneficiaries for switching packages, subsidized refill cards or both.

The beneficiaries use the subsidy cards to buy gas at agent distribution centers at reduced rate.

The gas subsidy program, she says, became necessary upon observation that the prevailing harsh economic realities are pushing low income families back from clean cooking to solid fuel and kerosene options.

In seeking the collaboration of government, oil companies and the public in driving the initiative, Dr Opeke pointed out the need to use the company’s technology and platforms for massive transformation of cooking experience for millions of low income homes.