WIEN, Smart Gas partner Women Affairs Minister on gas penetration
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The Nigerian leading gender advocates in the energy industry, Women In Energy Network (WIEN) weekend partnered with the Minister of Women Affairs, Dr. Uju Kennedy, to drive a clean domestic fuel penetration programme in Anambra State.
The occasion was part of the Homecoming & Empowerment of Women of Anambra State event hosted by the Minister featured distribution of free starter packs to enable women and families transition from use of dirty kitchen fuels like firewood, kerosene and charcoal to cleaner and more efficient liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) also called cooking gas.
The starter packs distributed at the minister’s homecoming and empowerment outreach programme included free pre-filled gas cylinders and stoves to enable rural women start using the products to cook for their families immediately.
Powered by Smart Gas Limited, which is also a key facilitator in the government’s Decade of Gas agenda, the event feeds into a broader programme being implemented to position natural gas and its products as the country’s fuel of the future.
The overall objective is to assist relieve women and homes the cost of transitioning to use of gas while simultaneously driving gas penetration to underserved areas of the country.
In the colorful ceremony which saw mass turn out of beneficiaries including men, women and youths of Anambra State, the minister explained that the free gas pack distribution was part of the empowerment programme of her ministry which, according to her, is conceived to benefit every member of the family.
As wives and mothers, she explained, women are front runners in effective implementation of the ongoing government’s gas penetration programme which seeks to displace dirty kitchen fuels with cleaner, more efficient, available and sustainable options.
She described the event as one of the direct dividends the current administration of the government and asked the people to wait for good times as of President Bola Tinubu continues to steer the country into a growth lane.
“This is part of my duty, my function. I am delivering what I am led to deliver. Better days are coming. Just give him a few months and you see what he working on,” Dr Kennedy told the people concerning the plans of the president.
Managing Director of Smart Gas Limited, Dr Yinka Opeke, who also represented WIEN at the event, described it as an inspiring day, focused on empowering women and promoting sustainable energy solutions.
“Our focus is to see how we can help our mothers who use coal, kerosene and firewood to cook. We explore how we can transition them to start using cleaner and healthier energy source. Part of what we do is partner with the Minister of Women Affairs because we know that clean kitchen fuel is critical in her agenda because women are home makers,” Dr Opeke declared at the event.
