The Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves has announced September 20 as the new date for the 2016 Clean Cooking Forum. This was one of the resolutions of the 14th Partners Meeting held on Tuesday March 22, 2016. The meeting discussed several other important issues including the identification of a supportive state government to champion market expansion at the local level. It also agreed to set an agenda for engaging with the new government on clean cooking energy in Nigeria. Partners identified a number of areas, including stimulating local production of low cost clean cookstoves and a special single digit interest rate facility for the industry as priority issues to table before the government.
Partners praised the achievements of the 2015 forum, especially the policy dialogue with key officials of government and leaders in the private sector. A planning committee for 2016 clean cooking forum chaired by Charles Usie, Country Director of Christian Aid was inaugurated. Other members of the planning committee include: Musa Raymond of Musa Raymond Stoves Ltd, Orode Doherty of Africare, Rachel Garu, Ewah Eleri and Precious Onuvae.
The Partners agreed to intensify efforts to ensure that Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) plays the required leadership role, especially in approving the Interim Standards for Biomass Stoves developed in partnership with the Nigerian Alliance. A committee was set up to develop high level contacts within SON and to ensure progress on standards development. The committee is chaired by Adebayo Omipidan of Mansa Nigerian Ltd.
