Key points
- Ogun State First Lady Bamidele Abiodun stated that clean energy transition protects coming generations from deforestation and indoor pollution.
- Speaking at the 2026 World Environment Day in Abeokuta, she flagged traditional firewood dependence as a major health risk.
- The state government partnered with the Federal Ministry of Environment to distribute 3,500 clean cookstoves to residents.
- Environment Commissioner Ola Oresanya announced the deployment of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) to convert municipal waste to energy.
- Academic expert Professor Babatunde Bada affirmed that RDF mitigates landfill pressure by recycling non-recyclable industrial materials.
Main Story
Continued household dependence on firewood and charcoal accelerates environmental degradation and creates severe public health crises across local communities, the First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, announced on Tuesday.
Speaking at the 2026 World Environment Day celebration at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, Abiodun warned that traditional biomass fuels inflict severe health issues on vulnerable groups while depleting critical forest assets. To directly mitigate these climate risks, she revealed that the Ogun State Government, in active partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment, has commenced the direct distribution of clean cookstoves to rural and urban households across the state.
“For decades, millions of households across Africa have depended on firewood, charcoal, and other traditional biomass fuels for cooking,” Abiodun stated. “While these methods have served many families, they also come with significant consequences. They contribute to deforestation, environmental degradation, indoor air pollution, and serious health challenges, particularly for women and children who spend considerable time around cooking areas.”
The First Lady emphasized that modern liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and advanced clean stoves offer safer, more efficient alternatives to combat recurring respiratory and cardiovascular complications. Corroborating the execution metrics, the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, disclosed that the state has successfully deployed an initial batch of 3,500 federally subsidized clean cookstoves.
Oresanya noted that the distribution aligns with a broader regional climate strategy that includes aggressive tree-planting campaigns and advanced ecosystem protection initiatives to build climate-resilient communities.
Expanding on the state’s industrial environmental framework, Oresanya highlighted the introduction of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) as a flagship waste-to-energy solution. He explained that the technology processes combustible municipal solid waste into alternative fuel, effectively cutting landfill pressure and greenhouse gas emissions while reducing industrial reliance on conventional fossil fuels.
Supporting this stance, Professor of Environmental Management and Toxicology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Babatunde Bada, described RDF as a vital tool for circular economy integration. Bada stated that converting non-recyclable materials like plastics and textiles into alternative industrial energy provides dual benefits by resolving urban waste bottlenecks while fueling local cement and paper manufacturing plants.
The Issues
- Accelerating the transition of low-income rural households from traditional biomass to cleaner liquefied petroleum gas alternatives.
- Scaling up municipal waste collection infrastructure to consistently feed industrial Refuse Derived Fuel production systems.
- Managing the ecological impacts of rapid urbanization and high industrial concentration within Ogun State’s manufacturing hubs.
What’s Being Said
- Highlighting the invisible health burdens borne by families relying on traditional hearths, Ogun State First Lady Mrs Bamidele Abiodun stated: “Studies have consistently shown that smoke from traditional cooking methods can lead to respiratory diseases, eye problems, cardiovascular complications, and other health concerns. The adoption of clean cookstoves offers a safer, healthier, cleaner, and more efficient alternative.”
- Advocating for collective civic participation alongside state-led climate policies, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, added: “Environmental sustainability cannot be achieved by the government alone, as it requires collective responsibility. Every tree planted, every act of proper waste disposal, every effort to conserve energy, and every step taken to reduce pollution contributes to a healthier future.”
What’s Next
- The Ogun State Ministry of Environment will monitor the localized adoption rate of the 3,500 distributed clean cookstoves.
- State waste management officials plan to establish structured collection points to gather combustible materials for processing into Refuse Derived Fuel.
- Environmental Management and Climate Change Clubs across Ogun schools will launch community tree-planting campaigns in Q3 2026.
Bottom Line
According to Ogun State First Lady Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, shifting households toward clean cookstoves and integrating waste-to-energy technologies like Refuse Derived Fuel are critical structural requirements to reverse deforestation and eliminate toxic indoor air pollution.
