Gombe: The Gombe State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project has distributed energy-efficient cooking stoves to communities around the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe. The beneficiary communities are those where erosion control projects had earlier been implemented. Speaking during the distribution exercise in Gombe, the ACReSAL State Project Coordinator, Dr. Sani Jauro, said the initiative was part of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Jauro explained that the stoves would help reduce dependence on traditional, inefficient cooking methods, which contribute to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. He added that the stoves were designed to use less fuel and emit fewer pollutants, thereby reducing carbon emissions and improving environmental conditions in the affected communities. The initiative aligns with the commitment of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe to tackle deforestation and promote a holistic approach to addressing climate change.
The coordinator noted that each of the nine communities received 100 stoves, with additional distributions to poultry houses and fish pond owners, totaling 975 stoves. The effort aims to support the communities around FCE and raise awareness about the importance of avoiding tree felling and understanding climate change issues. Jauro highlighted the success of the tree planting campaign under ACReSAL, with millions of trees planted across the state.
He urged residents to support the administration of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya by planting trees during the wet season as part of collective efforts to fight climate change. ACReSAL is currently providing free tree seedlings to communities willing to engage in tree planting. Earlier, the Shamakin Gombe, Alhaji Ibrahim Babayo, commended ACReSAL for the intervention, emphasizing the benefits of the stoves in reducing carbon emissions for the nine target communities.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Sa’adatu Nuhu, a resident of Arawa Community in Gombe Local Government Area, expressed gratitude for the support. She stated that the energy-efficient stove would help her save money and protect her health from harmful smoke associated with firewood use. The provision of stoves at no cost is expected to lessen reliance on firewood and offer health benefits by reducing exposure to smoke.
