*Explains why women must embrace LPG
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — In line with the Federal Government’s determination to penetrate the usage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas into rural areas, a group known as Wailing Women Worldwide, has advocated for collaboration with the Department of Petroleum Resources, to champion the campaign.
This is as the Federal Government had declared 2020 as Nigeria’s year of gas.
International Coordinator and Legal Secretary of Wailing Women Worldwide, Barr. Esther Ephraim, said women will get economically empowered, if trained to run depots and own gas refilling plants, as LPG remains the best alternative to kerosene.
Mrs. Ephraim, who explained need for women to be part of the LPG chain, also stressed the need for DPR to package the LPG drive in slogans and languages that will be taken on by all Nigerians.
She said the disadvantages of LPG only comes through careless handling, thus women must disabused their minds that LPG was dangerous to use, rather, women should take on the campaign that LPG remains the best alternative for their kitchens.
“We have to come up with a very well packaged campaign for the awareness of the great benefits of LPG, because we need the products in every home.
“My simple advice to DPR is that we should seek to create a bandwagon effect that will get everyone out there to change over to LPG.
“As women, we need to be brought into the valkue chain at marketing and campaign levels. We have used LPG and we can better market and talk about this product. We should be commissioned to go into the streets markets, communities, churches, mosques, offices to create this awareness.
LPG consumption will increase Nigeria’s GDP, says DPR
“The women will also get economically empowered if we are trained to run depots, own gas refilling plants etc. We want to be part of this chain. Please make it gender inclusive.”
The women group also stressed that women are the end users of LPG, while listing the advantages why every woman must embrace LPG in comparison to conventional fuels like firewood and charcoal.
She said every woman must be made to understand that there is a better source of energy that can trusted, an energy source that is more sustainable than electricity and other energy sources every woman is used to.
“LPG is a clean fuel (comparable with biogas); it releases fewer pollutants than any other fuel except electricity, thus protecting the health of women and children.
“LPG emits lower greenhouse gas emissions than alternatives, CO2 emissions are relatively low. Greenhouse gases are reduced by 5-16 times per prepared meal, compared to coal.
“If LPG was used, the wood consumption can be substantially reduced – 45kg of LPG is sufficient to produce the thermic energy of about half a ton of wood.
“LPG is easy to light and provides instant heat after lighting. LPG cooks fast. It has a high energy efficiency: about 8-9 times than firewood
“It is convenient to use. It is easy to store and to transport. Moreso the gas cookers are available in different shapes sizes and colours. Women can buy the best for their taste.
“Electricity can’t be an alternative either for reasons of availability in particular.”
