Transforming the Cookstoves Market through Standards & Labels in Nigeria

The private sector, the government of Nigeria, and local and international NGOs, including the Nigeria Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, seek to transition Nigerian households to cleaner and more efficient stoves and fuels to improve health and reduce environmental impacts. This transition, in part, will be enabled through the implementation of standards and labeling (S&L) policies and programs. Well-designed standard programs transform markets by removing poor- performing or low-quality products, while labeling programs encourage and empower consumers and other buyers to make informed decisions about the products they purchase. S&L policies and programs exist in a variety of types, often enable complementary market transformation projects, and can be adapted to most cultures, countries, and markets.

The market and sociopolitical framework is ready to implement an S&L program in Nigeria, however, there are still challenges that might impact effective and successful implementation. Therefore, based on these features present in Nigeria’s cookstoves market, and best practices from other appliance S&L programs in markets that share some of them, CLASP has proposed a

1. Cookstove S&L programs in Nigeria should be designed to be Voluntary and Technology-neutral.
2. Policy makers may also consider aligning cookstove S&L programs with existing S&L programs (i.e. refrigerators and ACs), and;
3. Use an integrated labeling approach which consists of a categorical component for thermal efficiency and an endorsement component for emission.
4. An Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee, led by the Federal Ministry of Environment and Federal Ministry of Health, could be established to provide high-level political support, and to drive cookstove S&L program in Nigeria.
5. SON could take the lead in developing and implementing the cookstove S&L program, with guidance from the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee and technical support from the cookstove Technical Committee.
6. A tax incentive program could be considered in order motivate manufacturers to participate in the voluntary S&L program and lower retail prices of improved cookstoves in Nigeria.