Govt seeks global financing for clean cooking access

The Federal Government has called for strong global financing support to accelerate clean cooking access for five million Nigerian households by 2030.

Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, made the appeal at a high-level dialogue on Advancing Energy Access and Clean Cooking, during the 2026 International Energy Agency (IEA) Ministerial Meeting in Paris, France.

Ekpo told the global gathering that Nigeria’s clean cooking agenda is anchored on a clear presidential mandate and embedded within broader gas sector reforms under the Decade of Gas Initiative and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which he said have strengthened regulatory certainty and improved investor confidence across the gas value chain.

“Nigeria’s clean cooking agenda is built around a clear presidential directive to deliver a nationwide LPG grassroots expansion programme targeting five million households by 2030. This target is central to our strategy for reducing energy poverty, improving public health, empowering women and youth, expanding the domestic gas market, and advancing our climate and forest conservation objectives”, he said.

The Minister further outlined ongoing national implementation efforts, including the rollout of LPG penetration programmes across the six geopolitical zones, designed to drive grassroots adoption and build a sustainable domestic cooking gas ecosystem, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Making a strong investment pitch, Ekpo urged development partners and private investors to support a structured financing framework, to enable Nigeria meet the five million household target.

He highlighted the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), established under the PIA, as a key vehicle to catalyse investments in gas infrastructure and expand access nationwide.

“For Nigeria, clean cooking is not solely a health or climate intervention. It is a pillar of economic inclusion, gender empowerment, domestic industrialisation and environmental stewardship. With structured financing, coordinated multilateral engagement and strong private sector participation, universal clean cooking in Nigeria is achievable within this decade,” he added.

To signal Nigeria’s growing leadership role in advancing clean cooking access across Africa, the Minister secured an invitation for President Bola Tinubu to attend as guest of honour, the 2026 Second International Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 9-10 July, to be co-chaired by President William Ruto of Kenya, Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, United States Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright and IEA Executive Director, Fatih Biro.