NASENI Empowers 2,000 Kano Households with Clean Energy: A Blueprint for Sustainable Development in Nigeria
By Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched its Sustainable Empowerment Programme in Kano State, providing over 2,000 households with clean and reliable energy solutions. This initiative is a critical step in mitigating the impacts of climate change while fostering economic resilience in rural and semi-urban communities.
Programme Overview: What Was Distributed and Why It Matters
Held at the Fabs Event Centre in Kano, the programme distributed clean cookstoves, solar home systems, and other sustainable energy tools to thousands of beneficiaries. These technologies are designed to address two of the most pressing challenges in off-grid and underserved areas: indoor air pollution from traditional cooking methods and lack of reliable electricity.
Clean Cookstoves: Health and Environmental Benefits
Traditional open-fire cooking, still common in many Nigerian households, produces harmful smoke that contributes to respiratory diseases—particularly among women and children who spend the most time near cooking areas. The clean cookstoves provided by NASENI reduce smoke emissions by up to 60%, use less fuel (wood or charcoal), and cook food faster. For a typical family, this means fewer health clinic visits, lower fuel costs, and less deforestation.
Solar Home Systems: Powering Productivity and Education
Each solar home system includes a solar panel, battery storage, LED lights, and USB ports for charging phones and small appliances. For a household that previously relied on kerosene lamps or expensive diesel generators, this translates into immediate savings—often hundreds of thousands of naira annually—and the ability to work, study, or run a small business after dark. In communities where grid electricity is unreliable or absent, these systems are transformative.
Government and Institutional Support: A Multi-Stakeholder Effort
The initiative was flagged off by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, who emphasized that the programme is a tangible outcome of Nigeria’s industrial, trade, and investment agenda. She noted that it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of industrialization, job creation, local productivity, and inclusive economic growth.
Dr. Oduwole highlighted Kano’s strategic selection as the host state, given its historical role as a major commercial and manufacturing hub in West Africa. With strengths in trade, textiles, agro-processing, and entrepreneurship, Kano is well-positioned to serve as a model for scaling clean energy adoption across the region.
She also pointed out that the initiative supports the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by promoting local technology deployment and expanding productive assets for households and businesses. This is a critical point: by manufacturing these solutions in Nigeria, NASENI is not only reducing import dependency but also creating local jobs and building technical expertise.
NASENI’s Vision: The Zero Carbon (ZeCo) Project
In his welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, explained that the programme is part of NASENI’s broader Zero Carbon (ZeCo) Project. The ZeCo Project focuses on reducing carbon emissions, protecting the environment, and promoting safer energy alternatives. Halilu emphasized that these are Nigerian-made solutions, built for Nigerian realities—meaning they are designed to withstand local conditions, be easily repairable, and use locally available components where possible.
He urged beneficiaries to make proper use of the items, maintain them, and leverage them to improve their homes and businesses. This is not just a handout; it is an investment in human capital and local economic development.
Practical Examples of Impact
Consider a typical beneficiary in a rural Kano community: a woman who runs a small food business. With a clean cookstove, she reduces her fuel costs by 30–40%, cooks faster, and produces less smoke—improving both her profit margin and her health. With a solar home system, she can light her stall in the evening, charge her phone to accept mobile payments, and even power a small refrigerator to keep ingredients fresh. Over a year, these tools can increase her income by 20–30% while reducing her carbon footprint.
For a family with school-aged children, solar lighting means children can study after dark, improving educational outcomes. For a farmer, it means being able to charge a mobile phone to access market prices or weather forecasts. The multiplier effects are enormous.
Goodwill Messages and Broader Implications
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Technology Transfer (PICTT), Dr. Mohammed Dahiru; the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu; the National Coordinator of AfCFTA, Mrs. Patience Okala; and the Permanent Secretary representing the Head of Service of Kano State, Alhaji Salisu Mustapha. Their presence underscores the cross-sectoral collaboration required to make such initiatives successful.
Conclusion: A Model for Replication
This initiative underscores NASENI’s commitment to driving sustainable development and expanding access to clean energy solutions across Nigeria. By combining technology transfer, local manufacturing, and community empowerment, the programme offers a replicable model for other states and regions. As Nigeria works toward its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, programmes like this demonstrate that climate action and economic development can go hand in hand.
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