In a move to promote environmental sustainability and reduce carbon emissions, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has distributed clean energy cookstoves to women in shoreline communities across Ogoniland. The initiative aims to reduce the dependence on firewood and protect mangrove forests that serve as a natural defense for the ecosystem.
At a recent event in Kpor, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, one hundred women from eight shoreline communities received the new stoves. The project marks a major step toward promoting clean, healthy, and eco-friendly cooking practices among rural households.
According to Mediaplusng.com, the clean cookstove initiative is part of HYPREP’s ongoing environmental efforts to restore degraded lands and protect mangrove ecosystems. It complements the mangrove restoration project, which has already seen over 1.4 million mangrove seedlings planted across 560 hectares in Ogoniland, with a target of 10,000 hectares.
HYPREP’s Legal Adviser, Ichibor Gowon, who represented the Project Coordinator, said the project aims to encourage women to adopt cleaner cooking methods while reducing the cutting of juvenile mangroves for firewood. The agency also plans to collect feedback from beneficiaries through surveys and focus group discussions to measure the impact of the project.
Beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing the cookstoves as efficient, smoke-free, and cost-saving. For many women, the stoves not only make cooking easier but also help protect their health and the environment.
Mediaplusng.com reports that HYPREP believes community participation is vital for lasting environmental protection in Ogoniland. The agency urges residents to join in efforts to restore the ecosystem, prevent pollution, and promote sustainable living for future generations.
