Ministry of Environment Terminates N9.2bn Clean Cook Stoves Contract

The Federal Ministry of Environment has terminated the controversial N9.2 billion clean cook stoves and wonder bags project, initiated by the former Goodluck Jonathan administration, for rural women under the national clean cooking scheme.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mrs Fatima Mede, said the German contractor who was given three months to supply 750,000 units of the stove and 18,000 wonder bags under the project had failed on his part to deliver the items.

Mrs. Mede noted that five billion Naira had been released to the Ministry by the government out of which the contractor was paid N1.3 billion.

She urged Nigerians not to be apprehensive over the remaining N3.7 billion in the ministry’s coffers, which according to her remains untouched.

The Permanent Secretary noted that the stoves which were to be assembled locally were meant to provide jobs to Nigerians among other benefits.

According to the former administration, the programme was launched to engender clean cooking culture amongst rural women, in order to reduce and eliminate cooking with solid fossil which is considered detrimental to health.