Yusha'u A. Ibrahim
18 December 2008
In its bid to address the menace of illegal tree felling in the state, Jigawa state government yesterday distributed over 10,000 improved cooking stoves to the local communities across the 27 local governments of the state.
Commissioning the distribution exercise, the state governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido charged local government chairmen and traditional rulers in the state to propagate the use of the new improved cooking stoves in their respective areas.
Governor Lamido, who was represented by the state commissioner of environment, Barrister Yusuf Mato, also disclosed that apart from the cooking stoves each of the 27 local governments will receive four biogas plants as trial.
Lamido stated that the project was aimed at reducing the effect of encroachment by saving trees from illegal felling; adding that the cooking stoves were cheaper and also saves cost to the users.
He regretted that statistic has indicated that the per capital/wood usage in Jigawa state has exceeded one tonne per person per annum with more than 85 per cent of the tree fell being used as firewood.
He noted that with introduction of the new improved cooking stoves, the massive usage of firewood would be drastically reduced in the state, urging the communities in the state to reciprocate the gesture by accepting the new initiative.
Also speaking at the occasion, the state commissioner of women affairs, Hajia Fatima Widi Jallo stated that each of the 27 local governments of the state will receive 370 units of the improved cooking stoves foe on ward free distribution to local communities.
Hajiya Fatima explained that apart from addressing the menace of illegal tree felling, the initiative has provided job to hundreds of Jigawa state indigene.
The commissioner recalled that, the state government had through Alternative Energy Fund electrified 19 villages with solar system in the stat, in addition to the construction of 119 tubular plastic biogas plants.
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