ABUJA (SundiataPost) – The Federal Executive Council has approved the award of contract for the procurement of 750,000 units of clean cooking stove and 18,000 wonder bags for the National Clean Cooking Scheme.
The scheme is expected to provide 20 million clean stoves over a five-year period at the rate of four million stoves per annum which will be distributed free of charge.
The Council presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo, sat to ratify President Goodluck Jonathan’s anticipatory approval for the scheme which is an aggressive drive to engender clean cooking culture amongst poor rural women to reduce and possibly eliminate cooking with solid fossil which is detrimental to health.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the overseeing Minister of Information, Nurudeen Mohammed alongside the Minister of Environment, Laurencia Malam and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed, said it would also reduce incessant felling of trees which exposes the country to ecological problems.
Mohammed said “additional benefit to Nigeria in switching over to this technology by the rural households is the carbon credits arising from the registration by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The country stands to gain 50 per cent subsidy of the price through the generated carbon credits.
“Council noted that these stoves will be locally assembled and provide jobs to Nigerians among other benefits and unanimously ratified Mr. President’s anticipatory approval for the contract in favour of Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited in the sum of N9,287,250,000.00 inclusive of VAT, with a delivery period of 12 weeks.
“We are going to distribute irrespective of political affiliation. This government has demonstrated that it is above board in partisan politics; it will be distributed equitably to women in this country”, he added.
The Wonderbag is a non-electric slow cooker invented by Sarah Collins, a South African eco-entrepreneur, who came up with the idea six years ago during a power cut, when she decided to keep her dinner cooking by surrounding the pan with cushions.
According to scientists, each Wonderbag can prevent the emission of half a ton of carbon dioxide a year, and could save a poor family a tenth of their income by cutting fuel costs.
Council also approved the award of contract for the provision of engineering infrastructure to Kyami District, Zone C, Abuja.
The FCT Minister had informed the council that the contract is in line with the statutory responsibility of the FCTA of providing engineering infrastructure to the FCT.
“This is one of the residential districts located in Phase V of the city with a land area or 942.56 hectares.
“Council deliberated extensively on the scope of work, contribution to the project to the overall development of the FCT including job creation and noted that all due process requirements were met and approved the award of the contract to Messrs. Mangrovetech Construction and Engineering Nigeria Limited (KaKatar CE Limited) in the sum of N60,887,492,656.65 with the completion period of 60 months”.
Bala Mohammed said already the sum of N5 billion has been provided for in the 2014 budget in order to make some advance payment.
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