Senator Mustapha Bukar representing Katsina North Senatorial District of Katsina State has made a commitment to buy 12,000 efficient wood stoves from clean cookstoves producers in his constituency. This is to empower these small scale entrepreneurs to build a livelihood, reduce deforestation and improve the health of women. According to the Senator, “Women do not have to suffer smoke related diseases due to cooking when catering for their families. I am committed to improving the well being of my people”. He made this comment while addressing the audience at the Flag-off of the Women Empowerment Programme at his senatorial district. To back up his commitment, Senator Bukar made an immediate order for one thousand efficient woodstoves from the producers. Being very satisfied with the performance of the stoves, he encouraged his constituents to adopt the use of efficient cookstoove as it reduces the cutting down of trees and leads to better health.

Katsina State is in the frontline of the expanding Sahara Desert. Over 95% of households use wood for cooking. Woodfuel is scarce, costly and smoke from cooking has become a major problem for mostly women and children. The European Union is funding a project in Katsina to improve the fuel-wood balance and resilience of livelihoods of rural households in seven Local Government Areas in the State. The project has two components: agroforestry that is implemented by OXFAM and Clean Cookstoves implemented by ICEED, with counterpart funding from Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.
The senator’s intervention will empower about 80 entrepreneurs across the clean cookstoves value chain in his constituency.