Concerns over the negative environmental impact and safety of traditional cooking fuels have grown in recent years. Cooking using fossil fuels and biomass wastes not only contributes to air pollution but also poses health hazards to persons. Women, in particular, suffer the burden of the detrimental effects of traditional cooking practices.
For instance, when cooking over a three-stone fire with firewood, women inhale harmful smoke that can cause a myriad of lung and heart infections. This is because hazardous gases produced from these traditional cooking methods such as methane, carbon monoxide and black carbon have been reported to contribute a lot to the spate of deaths among Nigerian women.
Against this backdrop, experts have called not just for improved cooking technologies and knowledge to reduce infection and health hazards to women, but also for more attention to the clean cooking industry.
Clean cooking refers to people using cleaner fuels and energy-efficient modern stoves. According to the World Bank, around four billion people lack access to modern energy cooking services. Hence, they cook with traditional biomass or polluting fuels, which worsens air pollution, increases the disease burden on women, and exacerbates the effects of climate change.
However, Femi Oye, innovator and CEO of Green Energy Biofuels (GEB), stepped up to create a breakthrough in cooking fuel technology that provides a safer and environmentally friendly alternative. The innovative cooking stove called the ‘Kike Green Cook stove’ is a revolution in the way we cook, providing a cleaner, healthier cooking method for households around the world, and addressing the harmful effects caused by traditional cooking fuels.
From dream to reality
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The Kike Green Cook stove is a portable, reinforced, enamel-coated metallic burner with a safety regulator and a steel bowl in the centre that serves as a cooking gel tank. The green gel is believed to be 100 percent organic and made from renewable energy sources such as water hyacinth, sawdust, and agricultural waste. This innovation is far safer and cleaner than common cooking fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene, firewood and charcoal.
For Femi Oye, the idea to create a clean cooking method started right from childhood after his grandmother died from a respiratory ailment, an infection she likely developed because of her exposure to firewood and charcoal fumes. That very tragedy was the turning point in Femi Oye’s life as he vowed to find out and tackle the disease that terminated his grandmother’s life.
He said, “My idea of a clean cooking stove started after my grandmother died from indoor air pollution. I grew up with her in my childhood. And she used firewood to cook inside our enclosed kitchen in the village. Back then I didn’t know the impact of this traditional cooking method. It was later in life when I had advanced in education and research, that my eyes were opened to the harm the traditional cooking methods have on people.
“Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people, and over 30 million families, then over five billion dollars is spent every year in acquiring fossil fuel, dirty fuel, burning charcoals and firewood. The impact of this is grievous to the women and our environment. There is a report that states that over 100 million women die in Nigeria annually, as a result of indoor air pollution, which affects their lungs, causing several respiratory ailments.
“Air pollution causes deadly sicknesses like cough, infant mortality, plus miscarriages in women. Also, low sperm counts in men are associated with inhaling dangerous gases found in kerosene and LPG used in many homes today. Many people are cooking but are unknowingly frying their lungs, and livers for a lifetime.
“So from my own experience firsthand on my grandmother’s death, I said I would do something about it. That was what inspired me to start the Green Energy Biofuels. The Biofuel used in the stove is produced from environmental, agricultural, and biomass wastes. And instead of burning them to cook whereby it gives out carbon and other hazardous gases, we take them through a different process, known as hydrolysis, whereby we are able to convert them genetically into some classes of sugar that produce the biofuels that we have. This means that it’s cleaner because it’s biodegradable, as well as a natural biomass material.
“We make these biofuels to be gel-like, so it’s thick and don’t spill. Families can use the biofuel to cook indoors, and still breathe clean air, because the byproduct of the biofuel is safe, especially for people who have respiratory problems like asthma. We’ve been able to reach over a million households across Africa, not just in Nigeria, and we are happy with the testimonies and the stories that we hear about women partnering with us in our entrepreneurship programmes. And they can earn a livelihood. Families being able to cut down on their dependence on fossil fuel, expensive kerosene, charcoal, firewood, cut down on energy costs because it’s more affordable.”
Benefits of biofuel
Speaking further on the benefits of clean methods such as the Kike Green Cook stove, environmentalist Michael Uba stated that it provides a plethora of benefits that can enhance the lives of many Nigerian households.
Uba stressed that clean cooking enhances safety because of the absence of open flames and the controlled combustion mechanism significantly reduces the risk of accidents and burns, ensuring a safer cooking experience.
He said, “One of the primary concerns with traditional cooking fuels, such as kerosene and firewood, is the associated safety risks. Clean cooking innovations minimise these risks by eliminating open flames and reducing the risk of accidental fires. This fuel is designed to be used with specially designed stoves or cookers that ensure controlled and safe combustion.
“Another advantage is that it also reduces air pollution. Traditional fuels like coal, charcoal, and wood release harmful pollutants and particulate matter when burned, contributing to indoor and outdoor air pollution. But clean cooking fuel innovations, produce significantly fewer emissions, leading to improved indoor air quality and reduced environmental impact. This is achieved through advanced combustion technology and the use of cleaner ingredients”.
According to Mr Uba, clean cooking fuel like the Kike Green Cook stove are also more efficient, cost-effective, versatile and convenient than the traditional methods. “The clean cooking stoves are designed to be compatible with existing cooking equipment, making it a convenient option for households. It can be used in a wide range of cooking appliances, including stoves, ovens, and grills, without requiring significant modifications or investments.
“Also, unlike fossil fuels, they are derived from renewable sources, making it an environmentally conscious choice. It can be produced from biomass, agricultural waste, or other sustainable resources, reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Additionally, its production process can be integrated with waste management systems, contributing to a circular economy.”
Looking ahead, Femi Oye continues to advocate for the widespread adoption of the Kike Green Cook stove. He actively collaborates with governments, non-profit organizations, and private entities to develop policies, incentives, and infrastructure that support the transition to clean cooking fuels.
His vision is to create a global paradigm shift, replacing traditional cooking fuels with sustainable alternatives and ensuring a healthier, greener future for generations to come. “We are making efforts to drive the adoption of these biofuels as a better alternative to fossil fuels. We are collaborating with government agencies like the Ministry of Environment. We are working with NGOs as well as with other informal sectors like community groups.
“Also we are also talking to private investors as well, to see how they can increase investments. Because when there is more investment, then the cost of the fuel itself will come down. There is a need to push the benefits, the importance of the biofuels plus the health and climate benefits,” Oye said.
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