01/05/2026
๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ
๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ป๐๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ. ๐ข๐๐๐๐พ๐
Sierra Leone has taken a bold step toward transforming household energy use and advancing gender equality with the official launch of the ECOWAS Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Program at a high-level policy dialogue held at the Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel on Tuesday 28th April 2024.
Speaking at the event, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio framed the clean cooking crisis not as a distant policy issue, but as a daily struggle affecting millions of Sierra Leonean women and girls.
โThis is not an abstract debate,โ she said. โIt is written in the cracked hands of a grandmother collecting firewood at dawn, in the lungs of mothers bent over open flames, and in the lives of young girls forced to trade classrooms for long hours searching for fuel.โ
The launch event, which brought together regional leaders, policymakers, and development partners, marks a significant milestone in West Africaโs transition toward cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cooking solutions.
The ECOWAS LPG Program aims to increase access to modern cooking fuels. It is part of a wider effort to help people move away from firewood and charcoal to clean cooking methods that are safer for health and better for the environment.
Her Excellency emphasized the urgency of the challenge, noting that only about 1.5% of Sierra Leoneans currently use modern cooking methods, while the vast majority still depend on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal. She described this as a โnational crisisโ with broad implications for health, the environment, and gender equity.
Citing global health data, she highlighted the dangers of household air pollution, comparing it to smoking two packs of ci******es daily. โMillions of our women are exposed to this reality not by choice, but by necessity,โ she said. โThat must change.โ
The First Lady also praised regional advocates, including Her Excellency Rachel Ruto, First Lady of Kenya and Madam Samira Bawumia, formal Second Lady of the republic of Ghana, for their leadership in promoting clean cooking across Africa.
She also highlighted progress made under the leadership of her husband, President Julius Maada Bio, citing that Sierra Leone has emerged as a regional leader in advancing progressive social reforms, including the Gender Equality and Womenโs Empowerment (GEWE) Act, the ban on early marriage, and policies supporting the reintegration of pregnant girls into schools.
Her Excellency stressed that clean cooking must be seen not only as an energy issue, but as a matter of โlife, dignity, and justice.โ She called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, highlighting the establishment of a national Clean Cooking Delivery Unit in partnership with the Clean Cooking Alliance.
A central pillar of her vision is the empowerment of women as leaders in the clean energy transition. โWomen must not only benefit from clean cooking, but they must also own it, lead it, and drive it,โ she declared, outlining plans to train and finance women as entrepreneurs, technicians, and industry leaders in the LPG value chain.
The First Lady also drew attention to the countryโs school feeding program, which serves over 600,000 pupils but still relies heavily on traditional cooking methods. She called for urgent reforms to integrate clean cooking solutions into schools, describing it as both a health and educational priority.
In a defining moment of the event, Her Excellency announced her acceptance of the role of Regional Clean Cooking Champion for West Africa, pledging to mobilize action and deliver tangible results for women and girls across the continent.
โThis is not a title,โ she said. โIt is a duty to stand with every woman, to amplify their voices, and to ensure that no one is left behind in this transition.โ
The ECOWAS LPG Program is expected to lower costs through regional coordination, expand access to underserved communities, and accelerate the shift toward cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions.
As Sierra Leone positions itself in the strive to cleaning cooking, the country is ready to move away from harmful cooking methods and build a healthier future for its people
