No fewer than 300 women in Enugu State would benefit from the skills and knowledge acquisition training organised by the Clean Tech Innovation Hub (CTIH).
The programme organised with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), is expected to empower beneficiaries on clean cooking entrepreneurship.
This is contained in a statement by Daramfon Bassey, Head, Energy Access, CTIH in Abuja on Wednesday.
Bassey said that the three-day entrepreneurship workshop which began on Tuesday and end on Thursday was oeganised under the GIZ Clean Cooking Scale-Up Project.
He explained that the project was designed to equip rural and peri-urban women with practical knowledge, skills and opportunities to participate actively in the growing clean cooking sector.
He also said that the workshop formed part of the broader GIZ clean cooking scale-up project aimed at strengthening the clean cooking ecosystem and promoting sustainable adoption of clean cooking solutions in Kano and Enugu States.
He added that the Enugu workshop followed a similar entrepreneurship workshop held in Kano state between Aug. 18 and Aug. 20.
According to him, the initiative brought together women particularly those who rely on traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene, as well as those engaged in small-scale food businesses and other income-generating activities.
“Stakeholder engagements conducted by CTIH in Enugu identified women as key actors in household and commercial cooking, while also highlighting the need to expand access to cleaner, safer and more affordable cooking solutions.”
Bassey said that the programme was designed to enable women become active participants in the clean cooking economy, adding that this could be achieved by combining entrepreneurship training with practical knowledge of clean cooking technologies and fuel solutions.
He further said that the programme demonstrated that clean cooking was not only a health and environmental solution, but also an avenue for livelihood development and entrepreneurship.
He said the training would also cover briquette production and local value chains, as well as access to finance, business planning, and the use and maintenance of clean cook-stoves.
“The participants will also interact with clean cooking technology providers to gain knowledge of available products and services,” he said.
The CTIH official said the initiative was expected to contribute to improved household health, reduced dependence on polluting cooking fuels and increased economic opportunities for women.
He said it would also strengthened local clean cooking value chains and contribute to broader efforts to promote sustainable adoption of clean cooking solutions.
Bassey said the Enugu workshop would conclude with practical discussions on participants’ next steps and opportunities for continued engagement within the clean cooking ecosystem.
He said the discussions were intended to help participants translate the knowledge and skills acquired into sustainable livelihoods and business opportunities.
