Three hundred women in Enugu will benefit from skills and knowledge-acquisition training organised by the Clean Tech Innovation Hub.

The programme, organised with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), is expected to empower beneficiaries in clean cooking entrepreneurship, according to a statement by Daramfon Bassey, head of energy access, on Wednesday.

Mr Bassey said that the three-day entrepreneurship workshop, which began on Tuesday and ended on Thursday, was organised under the GIZ Clean Cooking Scale-Up Project.

He explained that the project was designed to equip rural and peri-urban women with practical knowledge, skills and opportunities to participate actively in the growing clean cooking sector.

He also said that the workshop formed part of the broader GIZ clean cooking scale-up project aimed at strengthening the clean cooking ecosystem and promoting sustainable adoption of clean cooking solutions in Kano and Enugu States.

He added that the Enugu workshop followed a similar entrepreneurship workshop held in Kano State between August 18 and August 20.

According to him, the initiative brought together women, particularly those who rely on traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene, as well as those engaged in small-scale food businesses and other income-generating activities.

“Stakeholder engagements conducted by CTIH in Enugu identified women as key actors in household and commercial cooking, while also highlighting the need to expand access to cleaner, safer and more affordable cooking solutions,” he said.

Mr Bassey said that the programme was designed to enable women to become active participants in the clean cooking economy, adding that this could be achieved by combining entrepreneurship training with practical knowledge of clean cooking technologies and fuel solutions.

He added that the programme showed clean cooking was not only a health and environmental solution but also an avenue for livelihood development and entrepreneurship.

He said the training would also cover briquette production and local value chains, as well as access to finance, business planning, and the use and maintenance of clean cookstoves.

“The participants will also interact with clean cooking technology providers to gain knowledge of available products and services,” he said.

The CTIH official said the initiative was expected to improve household health, reduce dependence on polluting cooking fuels, and increase economic opportunities for women.

He said it would also strengthen local clean cooking value chains and contribute to broader efforts to promote sustainable adoption of clean cooking solutions.

Mr Bassey said the Enugu workshop would conclude with practical discussions on participants’ next steps and opportunities for continued engagement within the clean cooking ecosystem.

He said the discussions were intended to help participants turn the knowledge and skills they gained into sustainable livelihoods and business opportunities.

(NAN)