Federal Government has inaugurated the Women in Nigeria’s Gas Sector (WINGS) Empowerment Project Steering Committee, an initiative designed to increase women’s participation in the country’s gas industry, expand access to clean cooking solutions and support Nigeria’s transition to a gas-powered economy.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja, said the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by promoting women’s economic empowerment, improving public health and accelerating inclusive national development.
She described WINGS as a strategic intervention that will integrate women into every segment of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) value chain as entrepreneurs, distributors, operators and business owners.
The minister said although Nigeria possesses more than 210 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, millions of households still depend on firewood and charcoal for cooking, exposing women and children to serious health risks.
According to her, nearly 98,000 Nigerian women die annually from illnesses linked to smoke generated by traditional cooking fuels.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim explained that the WINGS initiative complements the Federal Government’s PowerHer774 Project, which seeks to improve women’s access to clean energy while creating sustainable livelihoods.
She disclosed that the project is expected to benefit about 4.6 million Nigerians by 2036 and contribute between 500,000 and one million metric tonnes annually to Nigeria’s LPG consumption, supporting the country’s target of five million metric tonnes per year by 2030.
The minister also announced plans to establish standardized micro-LPG refilling plants in 385 local government areas within five years under a lease-operate-own model. The facilities, she said, will be linked with enterprise hubs such as bakeries and agro-processing centres to enhance affordability and generate income for women.
She added that more than 12,500 households in the Federal Capital Territory have already switched from firewood and charcoal to LPG through recent government interventions.
To strengthen implementation, the ministry will collaborate with the Federal Fire Service on LPG safety education and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on nationwide public awareness campaigns.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, represented by Director Elisha Benjamin, described WINGS as a practical expression of Nigeria’s Decade of Gas Agenda, emphasizing that women should become leaders and investors within the nation’s gas industry.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to distributing five million LPG cylinders to women and youth by 2030 to encourage wider domestic gas utilisation.
Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, represented by Mr. Joseph Ikpeamaeze, said the Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Programme would provide a platform for extending the initiative across Nigeria’s 8,890 wards.
Representatives of the Ministries of Information and National Orientation, Environment, and the Presidency also pledged support for the programme.
Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, said recent government reforms, including the 2024 VAT Modification Order, have removed VAT on LPG and exempted key clean cooking equipment, while duty waivers worth more than 92 million dollars have encouraged investment in LPG infrastructure.
She stressed that women should become owners, operators and entrepreneurs throughout the gas value chain rather than remaining only consumers.
The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, assured stakeholders that safety would remain a top priority throughout the implementation of the project.
Other stakeholders, including the Decade of Gas Initiative and the Bureau of Public Procurement, pledged continued collaboration to promote clean cooking, strengthen women’s participation in the LPG sector and support inclusive procurement opportunities for women-owned businesses.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Esuabana Nko Asanye, thanked participating ministries, agencies and development partners for supporting the initiative.
She urged Nigerian women to take advantage of opportunities across the gas value chain, noting that effective utilisation of the country’s gas resources would drive economic growth, improve environmental sustainability and strengthen women’s economic empowerment.
The inauguration of the WINGS Steering Committee marks another step in the Federal Government’s efforts to expand clean cooking access, deepen inter-ministerial collaboration and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a cleaner and more inclusive energy future.
