Africa needs $4bn yearly to expand clean cooking access by 2030 – Samira Bawumia

Former Second Lady Hajia Samira Bawumia has called for an annual investment of about US$4 billion to accelerate Africa’s transition to clean cooking, warning that inadequate funding is worsening health risks, deforestation and gender inequalities.

She said the continent’s continued reliance on firewood and other traditional cooking fuels was undermining public health, environmental sustainability and the economic empowerment of women and girls.

Speaking as a panellist at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Hajia Bawumia urged African governments, development partners and private-sector investors to make clean cooking a priority in the continent’s development and climate agenda.

Citing estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA), she said Africa required about US$4 billion annually to accelerate the adoption of cleaner cooking technologies by 2030.

She warned that without sustained financing and stronger political commitment, millions of households would continue to depend on traditional cooking methods, with consequences for health, livelihoods and natural resources.

Hajia Bawumia said women and girls were disproportionately affected by traditional cooking practices, spending considerable time collecting firewood, preparing meals and dealing with exposure to household smoke.

She estimated that African women spend about 80 hours a week cooking, time she said could otherwise be devoted to education, economic activities and personal development.

“The time it takes to collect firewood, to travel and to prepare meals takes a toll on girls and women. It affects their education,” she said.

She argued that expanding access to clean cooking technologies should be treated not only as an environmental intervention but also as a means of advancing gender equality, improving livelihoods and reducing unpaid domestic work.

“Anytime you talk about food systems, you have to talk about cooking. Anytime you talk about energy transition, you have to talk about clean cooking. Anytime you talk about women empowerment, you have to talk about clean cooking,” she stressed.

The former Second Lady also warned that continued reliance on firewood was contributing to deforestation, with households depending on trees to meet their daily cooking needs.

She expressed concern that economic trees were being felled for firewood in Ghana and other African countries, undermining efforts to protect natural forests.

“This is a climate issue. In Ghana, for instance, and other African countries, most of the wood that is used for cooking is not sustainable. We are felling economic trees for firewood,” she said.

She also identified emissions, including black carbon from traditional cooking methods, as an important climate concern requiring urgent attention.

Hajia Bawumia acknowledged Ghana’s efforts to promote cleaner cooking, citing the adoption of national standards for clean cookstoves and the development of a National Clean Cooking Strategy and Investment Prospectus.

She also referenced the distribution of three million improved cookstoves and initiatives to establish sustainable woodlots as interim measures to reduce pressure on natural forests while households transition to cleaner energy sources.

One such initiative is the Woodlots for Households programme, implemented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She said the programme had reached about 1,000 households, with plans to expand its coverage.

She further highlighted collaboration between the Energy Commission and the Ghana Education Service to integrate energy technologies and clean cooking solutions into the educational curriculum.

According to her, exposing young people to alternative cooking technologies would help challenge traditional household practices and encourage the adoption of more sustainable methods.

She also cited the establishment of two testing laboratories at the Columbia Institute of Science and Technology, her alma mater, to support research and testing of clean cooking technologies.

Despite the interventions, Hajia Bawumia said Ghana needed stronger institutional coordination and sustained collaboration across sectors to make meaningful progress.

She noted that clean cooking cuts across health, environment, education, energy and land management, making it difficult for a single institution to drive the agenda effectively.

“The challenge is how to go about it and who owns it, because it is a multi-sectoral issue. You cannot leave it to just one sector,” she said.

She urged governments, development organisations and private-sector investors to deepen partnerships, mobilise funding and expand public education to make cleaner cooking technologies affordable and accessible.

She expressed optimism that sustained investment and coordinated action would accelerate Africa’s transition away from traditional cooking fuels, improving public health, supporting women’s economic empowerment and protecting natural resources.

COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, has brought together governments, international institutions, businesses and civil society organisations to advance global climate action and strengthen commitments to environmental sustainability.