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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in partnership with IHS Nigeria—a subsidiary of IHS Towers—rolled out its “Breathe Clean Air–Abuja” initiative on Wednesday, in Gwagwalada Area Council, distributing free gas cylinders, burners, refill vouchers, and comprehensive insurance to about 400 vulnerable households.
The programme targets women-led households, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and small-scale food vendors hardest hit by indoor air pollution from firewood, charcoal, and kerosene, which fuel respiratory illnesses like coughs, asthma, pneumonia, and eye problems.
Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe, unveiled the intervention, stressing its role in promoting sustainable clean cooking. “Too many households still depend on firewood, charcoal and kerosene for cooking. These fuels generate harmful smoke that pollutes indoor air and leads to cough, asthma, pneumonia, eye problems and other respiratory illnesses,” she said.
Fasawe highlighted the insurance coverage for fire outbreaks, explosions, user injury, third-party liability, damage, or theft, plus basic healthcare enrollment and refill vouchers to build confidence and prevent relapse to polluting fuels. “Our objective is to reduce indoor air pollution, protect health and support vulnerable and indigent households to transition safely and sustainably to clean cooking,” she added.
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She prioritised rollout across all six FCT Area Councils, urging community leaders to monitor usage, enforce safety guidelines, discourage resale or misuse, and report challenges. “Together, we can make clean air, safer cooking and healthier lives a reality for Gwagwalada and the entire FCT,” Fasawe said.
Chief Corporate Services Officer of IHS Nigeria, Dapo Otunla, reaffirmed the company’s support, aligning it with their sustainability focus on people, community, environment, climate change, education, and economic growth. “The Abuja Breathe Clean Air initiative aligns closely with our focus on people and community, environment and climate change, as well as education and economic growth,” Otunla said.
As Nigeria’s largest communications infrastructure provider with over 16,000 towers and 16,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables, IHS aims to cut carbon emissions and boost community wellbeing.
“We are pleased to see how this campaign is reaching the grassroots and positively impacting vulnerable families across the FCT. We hope the free gas cylinders and public awareness will help residents embrace cleaner, environmentally sustainable cooking alternatives,” he added, calling on other corporates to join for a potential nationwide rollout.
