By Palma Ileye
Federal Government has inaugurated the Women in Nigeria’s Gas Sector (WINGS) Empowerment Project Steering Committee to expand women’s participation in Nigeria’s 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, FMWASD, 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.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim congratulated President Bola Ahmed 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.
She 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.
According to her, nearly 98,000 Nigerian women die annually from smoke-related illnesses linked to cooking with biomass fuels.
She explained that the PowerHer774 Project served as the Federal Government’s flagship initiative for improving women’s access to energy, while WINGS provides the platform for integrating 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. Through this initiative, women will participate across the gas value chain, creating sustainable livelihoods, expanding household incomes, and strengthening Nigeria’s energy sovereignty,” she said.
The Minister disclosed that the project was expected to directly benefit about 4.6 million Nigerians by 2036 while contributing between 500,000 and one million metric tonnes annually to Nigeria’s LPG consumption, supporting the government’s target of five million metric tonnes per year by 2030.
She also announced plans to establish standardized micro-LPG refilling plants across 385 Local Government Areas within five years under a lease-operate-own model before expanding nationwide.
Each refilling plant, she said, would be integrated with enterprise hubs such as bakeries and agro-processing centres to ensure sustainable income for participating women.
Highlighting progress already recorded, the Minister revealed that more than 12,500 households in the Federal Capital Territory have transitioned from firewood and charcoal to cleaner cooking gas through government interventions.
She added that the Ministry would collaborate with the Federal Fire Service to strengthen LPG safety education and with the National Youth Service Corps to promote nationwide awareness on clean cooking practices.
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 and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to distributing five million LPG cylinders to women and youths by 2030.
Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, represented by Director of Social Development Joseph Ikpeamaeze, pledged support for the initiative, noting that the Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Programme would facilitate its implementation across Nigeria’s 8,890 wards.
Representatives of the Ministries of Information and National Orientation, Environment, and other government agencies also pledged support, describing WINGS as a strategic initiative capable of improving public health, reducing climate emissions, and creating economic opportunities for women.
Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, Olu Verheijen, said recent government reforms, including the 2024 VAT Modification Order, which zero-rates LPG and exempts key clean cooking equipment from VAT, alongside duty waivers worth over $92 million, have strengthened the expansion of Nigeria’s LPG infrastructure.
She stressed that women must move beyond being consumers to becoming owners, operators, distributors, service providers, and entrepreneurs across the gas value chain.
The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, assured stakeholders that safety would remain a key component of the project’s implementation through sustained training and public awareness.
The Bureau of Public Procurement also pledged support by promoting affirmative procurement policies that will increase opportunities for women-owned businesses in the LPG sector.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Esuabana Nko Asanye, thanked participating Ministries, departments, agencies, development partners, and stakeholders for their commitment to the initiative.
She urged greater investment in gas infrastructure and encouraged Nigerian women to take advantage of opportunities across the gas industry’s value chain.
The inauguration of the WINGS Steering Committee is expected to strengthen inter-ministerial collaboration, expand access to clean cooking solutions, promote women’s economic empowerment, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a cleaner and more inclusive energy future.
