By Palma Ileye
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Women in Nigeria’s Gas Sector (WINGS) Empowerment Project Steering Committee to expand women’s participation in the gas value chain, promote clean cooking solutions, improve household health, and drive inclusive economic growth under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the initiative as a transformative national intervention designed to position women at the centre of Nigeria’s energy transition while tackling poverty, environmental degradation and public health challenges.
She congratulated President Tinubu on Nigeria’s historic membership of the International Energy Agency and commended the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the President’s Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen, for advancing the country’s energy transition agenda.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that despite Nigeria’s estimated 210 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, millions of households still rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking, exposing women and children to serious health risks. She revealed that nearly 98,000 Nigerian women die annually from smoke-related illnesses linked to biomass fuels.
She explained that while the PowerHer774 Project improves women’s access to energy, WINGS integrates women into 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,” she said, adding that the project is expected to directly benefit 4.6 million Nigerians by 2036 and contribute up to one million metric tonnes annually to Nigeria’s LPG consumption.
Plans include establishing standardized micro-LPG refilling plants across 385 Local Government Areas within five years under a lease-operate-own model, integrated with enterprise hubs such as bakeries and agro-processing centres. Already, more than 12,500 households in the FCT have transitioned to cleaner cooking gas through government interventions.
In his remarks, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, represented by Director Elisha Benjamin, described WINGS as a practical expression of Nigeria’s Decade of Gas Agenda, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to distributing five million LPG cylinders to women and youths by 2030.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, represented by Director Joseph Ikpeamaeze, pledged support, noting that the Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Programme would facilitate implementation across Nigeria’s 8,890 wards.
Other ministries and agencies pledged support, describing WINGS as a strategic initiative to improve public health, reduce climate emissions and create economic opportunities for women. Special Adviser Olu Verheijen highlighted recent reforms, including VAT exemptions and duty waivers worth over $92 million, which have strengthened LPG infrastructure expansion.
The Federal Fire Service assured stakeholders of sustained safety training, while the Bureau of Public Procurement pledged affirmative procurement policies to boost women-owned businesses in the LPG sector.
The inauguration concluded with renewed commitments from government officials, civil society and development partners to strengthen collaboration, expand clean cooking access, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a cleaner and more inclusive energy future.
