Over 50 women in Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra state have received training on Renewable Energy from the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), facilitated by Hon. Afam Ogene, representative of the Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra state.
The training which was executed by
Frontline Infosys Limited, focused on clean cooking, followed an earlier training programme on solar energy for over 100 youths in Ogbaru, which was also facilitated by the lawmaker, who is the Chairman, Committee on Renewable Energy in the House of Representatives.
Clean cooking refers to the use of cooking fuels, technologies, and practices that minimize harmful emissions, reduce environmental impact, and promote health and well-being. Clean cooking aims to replace traditional cooking methods that rely on solid fuels, such as charcoal, wood, and dung, which are major contributors to indoor air pollution, deforestation, and climate change.
Some examples of clean cooking solutions, according to the trainer, Barrister Ndubuisi Benjamin, include: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Biogas, Electricity, Solar cooking, Induction cooking, Ethanol, Improved biomass cookstoves, among others.
Barrister Benjamin said that,”The adoption of clean cooking solutions is critical to achieving sustainable development, mitigating climate change, and improving the lives of millions of people worldwide.”
Clean cooking, as stated in the training manual, offers numerous benefits, including,
improved health as it educes exposure to indoor air pollution; environmental protection by lowering greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.
Other advantages include increased efficiency as it offers faster cooking times and reduced fuel consumption; economic benefits as it saves, creates job opportunities in the clean cooking sector, and empowerment by bringing about increased productivity and reduced burden on women and children.”
Addressing the women at the venue of the training at Ruchem Beach Hotels, Iyiowa-Odekpe, Hon. Ogene said he would continue to use his position to add value to the lives of the people through human capital and infrastructure development. He advised the beneficiaries to take the training seriously to enable them adopt the use of modern cooking techniques.
The Labour Party (LP) legislator said he deliberately made sure the beneficiaries were not selected on political party bases, as they cut across all the 16 communities in Ogbaru that make up the federal constituency because he wanted to prove that it is better to elect a leader who would use his position to attract democracy dividend after being elected rather than voting for one because he has the money to buy votes from the people.
Each of the beneficiaries were empowered with gas cooking stoves and the sun of N50,000, after the programme.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Mrs Ifeyinwa Okwuosa, Mrs Ijeoma Onuora, Mrs Isamade Chioma described Hon. Ogene as a selfless leader, humble, and, committed to the welfare of the ordinary people.
“I thank Hon. Afam Ogene so much for this training, gifting me cooking gas, and, N50,000. We have had many of our people who represented us at the Federal House, none of them has done what Hon Afam Ogene has been doing for us. He will go back to the House of Reps in the next election. And we are praying God to bless him with sound health, every member of his family too”, highly elated Mrs Okwuosa said in interview at the venue of the programme.
Mrs Onuora and Isamade in addition to praising Hon Ogene in their separate interviews said the training and gift of cooking gas would reduce the hardship they have been experiencing in using kerosine for cooking.