The Federal Government has inaugurated the Women in Nigeria’s Gas Sector (WINGS) Empowerment Project Steering Committee, marking a major step towards expanding women’s participation in Nigeria’s gas value chain, accelerating clean cooking adoption, improving household health, and advancing inclusive economic growth under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting at her office, in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, fsi, described the initiative as a transformative national intervention that will position women as key drivers of Nigeria’s energy transition while addressing poverty, environmental degradation and public health challenges.
The Minister congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for Nigeria’s historic membership of the International Energy Agency (IEA), commending the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Ph.D., and the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, for their leadership in advancing Nigeria’s energy transition agenda.
She noted that despite Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves of over 210 trillion cubic feet, millions of households still depend on firewood and charcoal for cooking, leading to devastating health consequences.
“Every year, nearly 98,000 Nigerian women lose their lives to smoke-related illnesses from cooking with firewood and charcoal.
We are losing our mothers, sisters and children to a silent crisis that has persisted for far too long,” the Minister said.
She explained that the PowerHer774 Project serves as the Federal Government’s flagship framework for women’s access to energy, with WINGS providing the strategic platform for integrating women across the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) value chain as entrepreneurs, distributors, operators and business owners.
“WINGS is far more than an energy project. It is a national investment in Nigerian women.
Through this initiative, women will participate across the gas value chain, creating sustainable livelihoods, expanding household incomes and strengthening Nigeria’s energy sovereignty,” she stated.
The Minister disclosed that by 2036, WINGS is expected to directly benefit approximately 4.6 million Nigerians, while contributing between 500,000 and one million metric tonnes annually to Nigeria’s LPG consumption, supporting the Federal Government’s target of five million metric tonnes per annum by 2030.
She further announced plans to deploy standardized micro-LPG refilling plants across 385 Local Government Areas within five years under a lease-operate-own model before expanding it nationwide.
Recognising affordability as a critical factor, the Minister said each micro-refilling plant would operate alongside enterprise hubs such as bakeries and agro-processing centres to generate sustainable income for participating women.
“Our success will not be measured by the number of meetings we hold, but by more households switching to clean cooking, healthier families, increased women’s incomes and measurable reductions in dependence on biomass fuels,” she emphasized.
Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim also revealed that over 12,500 households within the Federal Capital Territory have already transitioned from firewood and charcoal to cleaner cooking gas through recent government interventions, demonstrating that nationwide transformation is achievable through coordinated action.
She further announced strategic collaborations with the Federal Fire Service to strengthen LPG safety education and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to deepen nationwide sensitisation on clean cooking practices.
Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Ph.D in his remarks, described WINGS as a practical expression of Nigeria’s Decade of Gas Agenda and a strategic partnership that places women at the centre of national energy transformation.
“Women must not merely participate in Nigeria’s gas economy—they must help shape it, lead it and prosper from it,” the Minister declared.
Represented by a Director from the Ministry, Elisha Benjamin, the Minister reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to distributing five million LPG cylinders to women and youth by 2030, expanding domestic gas utilisation and strengthening collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure successful implementation of the WINGS Empowerment Project.
The Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, presented by the Director of Social Development, Mr. Joseph Ikpeamaeze, pledged the Ministry’s full collaboration.
He noted that the Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Programme would provide an effective platform for scaling WINGS rapidly across Nigeria’s 8,890 wards, ensuring women benefit from inclusive growth initiatives.
The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alh. Muhammed Idris, represented by the Deputy Director Dickson A.V. commended the collaborative approach adopted by the Ministry of Women Affairs.
He described WINGS as a laudable initiative capable of improving public awareness on clean cooking while empowering women economically through coordinated government action.
Representing the Honourable Minister of Environment, Alhani Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Director of Climate Change, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Ane, stressed that expanding clean cooking would reduce climate emissions, protect women’s health and significantly decrease smoke-related illnesses affecting vulnerable households.
Special Adviser to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Oil and Gas, Olu Verheijen, described WINGS as an initiative that translates Nigeria’s gas wealth into practical benefits for households and women-led enterprises.
She disclosed that government reforms, including the 2024 VAT Modification Order, now zero-rate LPG and exempt key clean cooking equipment from VAT while duty waivers exceeding 92 million dollars have supported expansion of LPG infrastructure.
“Nigeria’s gas value chain cannot reach its full potential if half of our population remains only consumers.
WINGS rightly positions women as owners, operators, distributors, service providers and entrepreneurs across the value chain,” she said.
She pledged continued policy alignment, investment facilitation and direct engagement with the Presidency to ensure the programme achieves nationwide impact.
Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, CGF Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, assured stakeholders that safety would remain central to the project’s implementation.
“The Federal Fire Service stands fully committed to ensuring every woman empowered through WINGS is equipped with the knowledge, confidence and protection to use LPG safely,” he stated.
The Decade of Gas Initiative congratulated the Ministry on the inauguration of WINGS, reaffirming that Nigeria’s gas resources must benefit every citizen while inviting stakeholders to the national launch of its State-by-State One Million Cylinder Programme.
Similarly, the Bureau of Public Procurement reaffirmed its commitment to affirmative procurement policies that will enable women-owned businesses participate more actively across the LPG value chain through inclusive procurement opportunities.
In a vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Esuabana Nko Asanye, expressed appreciation to all participating Ministries, Departments and Agencies, development partners and stakeholders for their commitment.
She advocated integrating gas infrastructure into future housing development while encouraging Nigerian women to move beyond consumption into active participation across the gas industry’s value chain.
Esuabana stressed that Nigeria possesses abundant gas resources capable of transforming the nation’s economy and improving environmental sustainability if effectively harnessed.
The inauguration of the WINGS Steering Committee signals the Federal Government’s determination to deepen inter-ministerial collaboration, expand access to clean cooking solutions, strengthen women’s economic empowerment, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a cleaner, healthier and more inclusive energy future.
Ahmed Lawan Danbazau Mnipr
Head, Press and Public Relations Dept.
(FMWASD)
