Medical and Hospital News
BIO FUEL
Nigerians look to biofuel as cost of cooking gas soars
Nigerians look to biofuel as cost of cooking gas soars
By Kadiatou SAKHO
Lagos (AFP) Nov 27, 2023

Hairdresser Shola Abiodun Adeyemi begins preparing lunch by pouring out a glug of bright green biofuel gel into her stove, as many Nigerians seek to reduce cooking expenses.

The cost of living has skyrocketed in Nigeria since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ended a fuel subsidy in May.

Bioethanol -- a cheaper, renewable alternative to cooking gas -- is becoming increasingly popular.

Regular cooking gas is now unaffordable for many, with inflation in Africa's largest economy reaching more than 27 percent over the past year, according to the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics.

Adeyemi is glad she can avoid paying around 1,000 naira (1.14 euros, $1.25) per kilogramme for gas.

A litre of biofuel costs the equivalent of just over $1, and users say they can get much more cooking done with it.

- 'You'll love your cooking' -

The biofuel gel also offers a cleaner alternative in kitchens where families are exposed to the health risks of woodsmoke and other more polluting fuels.

Every year, more than 93,000 women die in Nigeria from diseases caused by domestic air pollution, according to the World Health Organization.

Bioethanol gel releases far fewer harmful emissions into the atmosphere than traditional fuels.

"It doesn't darken your pot when you are using it, you feel comfortable, you don't even need to stress. Even the smell, the odour it brings out, you'll love your cooking," said 43-year-old Adeyemi.

In Nigeria, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by over four million tonnes if all households used bioethanol for cooking, according to the United Nations.

In the wider region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is seeking to popularise bioethanol.

Guei Kouhie, coordinator of bioenergy and clean cooking programmes at ECOWAS, said the bloc wants countries to adopt "harmonised standards of bioethanol cooking and transportation and domestication."

- 'Products that save lives' -

One of the firms selling the fuel and stoves is Kike Technologies, part of the Green Energy Biofuels company.

Its bioethanol is made using organic materials including food scraps, agricultural waste and even water hyacinth.

The company has sold around a million cookers in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Co-founder Femi Oye, who is also the CEO of Green Energy Biofuels, said he wanted to "create products that save lives."

More Nigerian households have been turning to greener biofuels, according to the non-profit Clean Cooking Alliance -- but there are limitations, especially during Nigeria's economic crisis.

"With inflation, people embrace bioethanol for sure, but many others have gone back to wood and coal, (which are) even cheaper," said Abel Gaiya, a researcher at Clean Technology Hub, a renewable energy think tank in the capital Abuja.

Gaiya also warned that defective stoves could lead to "some negative effects similar to gas, causing leaks, explosions and fires."

He called on the government to get involved, a point echoed by Lilian Aremu, a business manager of Green Energy Biofuels who also co-founded Kike Technologies.

"If we have more support from the authorities, we can reduce production costs and many people, even in rural areas, will have the opportunity to benefit," Aremu said.

Related Links
Bio Fuel Technology and Application News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
BIO FUEL
Chinese company gives leftover hotpot oil second life as jet fuel
Chengdu, China (AFP) Nov 21, 2023
At an upmarket restaurant in the hotpot-loving Chinese city of Chengdu, diners plunge sliced meat and vegetables into cauldrons of spicy, oily broth, largely unaware that their leftovers are set to take on a second life as jet fuel. With around 150,000 tonnes of used hotpot oil thrown out by restaurants in the city each year, local business Sichuan Jinshang Environmental Protection has found a niche processing the greasy waste and exporting it to be turned into aviation fuel. "Our motto is, let ... read more

BIO FUEL
COP28 host UAE ready for rising heat risk, says minister

India tunnel collapse 'wake-up call' for Modi's infrastructure drive

EU agrees to continue aid to Palestinians after 'careful' review of funds

Indian rescuers drill two-thirds of way to 41 trapped workers

BIO FUEL
Galileo Second Generation satellite aces first hardware tests

PASSport project testing

Zephr raises $3.5M to bring next-gen GPS to major industries

Satnav test on remote island lab

BIO FUEL
Fishing chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat

Good neighbors: Bonobo study offers clues into early human alliances

How "blue" and "green" appeared in a language that didn't have words for them

Brain health in over 50s deteriorated more rapidly during the pandemic

BIO FUEL
Endangered Sumatran elephant born in Indonesia, second in weeks

Critically endangered Sumatran rhino born in Indonesia

Rare elephant twins born in Kenya

Ay Karumba: 'Smelly' rats plague Australian fishing towns

BIO FUEL
Suffering from flu, Pope Francis cancels COP28 trip

Study: Climate change making vampire bats with rabies migrate toward U.S.

'Still suffocated': Mourning China's zero-Covid protests a year on

What we know so far about surging respiratory illnesses in China

BIO FUEL
Dissident who fled China by jet ski convicted of illegal entry in S Korea

China says resettling people fleeing northern Myanmar clashes

Markets mostly drop as rate-hope rally loses steam

Tibet activists and pro-China supporters demonstrate at APEC summit

BIO FUEL
US detained five who boarded tanker off Yemen: Pentagon

The fallen kings of crypto

US removes Chinese lab from sanctions in fentanyl crackdown deal

EU probes AliExpress to examine curbs on illegal products

BIO FUEL
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.