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In a bid to feed their families, many Nigerian women remain tied to the long-standing practice of cooking with open-fire stoves, believing the method cooks meals faster, more thoroughly, and enhances taste. However, this tradition continues to expose them and their families to harmful smoke and toxic fumes.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics’ 2024 Nigeria Residential Energy Demand-Side Survey shows that 67.8 per cent of Nigerians rely on firewood for cooking, whether for household, agricultural, commercial, cultural, or religious purposes. A state-by-state breakdown reveals that Bauchi State has the highest reliance at 91.0 per cent, followed by Sokoto State at 77.8 per cent, while Oyo State records the lowest usage at 48.0 per cent.
Medical experts warn that prolonged exposure to smoke from firewood is associated with serious health problems, including pneumonia, lung cancer, low birth weight, and visual impairment. More concerning is emerging evidence that household air pollution from firewood and kerosene cooking can significantly affect children’s cognitive development, raising alarms about the health and future productivity of millions of Nigerian children.
Speaking at the Household Air Pollution and Cognition (HAPCOG) stakeholders’ meeting, consultant psychiatrist Dr Yetunde Adeniyi revealed findings from a follow-up study involving children born between 2015 and 2026. According to her, children whose mothers cooked with firewood or kerosene showed noticeable developmental delays compared to those whose mothers used cleaner fuels such as ethanol.
The HAPCOG meeting marked the culmination of nearly two decades of research into the health impact of traditional cooking fuels on women and children. The programme was organised by the Centre for Population and Reproductive Health (CPRH) and the Healthy Life for All Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Chicago.
The research focused on smoke generated during cooking, which disproportionately affects women and children who spend more time in and around household kitchens. Families were grouped based on fuel use—traditional fuels like firewood and kerosene, and clean fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and ethanol.
Pregnant women from both groups were monitored throughout pregnancy and childbirth, while the children born during the study were followed for several years. At the age of seven, the children were assessed for intelligence, behaviour, and adaptive skills. Findings showed that children from households using firewood and kerosene had lower IQ scores and more developmental challenges than those raised in clean-fuel homes.
Professor Sola Olopade, a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at the Pritzker School of Medicine, explained that the developmental challenges are linked to unborn babies developing in low-oxygen environments caused by pollution exposure during pregnancy.
He noted that when the body is exposed to polluted air, it initially relies on antioxidants—supported by good nutrition—to neutralise harmful particles. However, prolonged exposure combined with poor nutrition overwhelms these defences, leading to inflammation and a condition where blood is more likely to clot.
“This is especially dangerous in organs supplied by small blood vessels, such as the heart, brain, and placenta,” Olopade said. “The placenta is the baby’s lifeline. When pollution damages it, the baby develops under stress in a low-oxygen environment.”
He cautioned that the findings should not be interpreted to mean earlier generations were less intelligent. Rather, chronic pollution exposure may have limited their full potential.
“Pollution does not erase intelligence; it suppresses it. Many people who excelled despite these conditions might have performed even better in cleaner environments,” he said.
Professor Olopade added that the effects are not irreversible, noting that reducing exposure, expanding access to clean fuels, and improving living conditions can prevent further harm and allow recovery. He emphasised the importance of LPG, solar energy, and other clean energy sources in eliminating kitchen smoke, while acknowledging ethanol as a viable alternative.
Also speaking, Director of CPRH, University of Ibadan, Professor Dosu Ojengbede, said clean cooking significantly improves maternal and child health. According to him, women using clean fuels experienced lower blood pressure without medication, fewer miscarriages and stillbirths, and were more likely to carry pregnancies to full term than those relying on traditional fuels.
He warned that the effects of pollution can persist even after birth, as newborns may continue to suffer from pollutants inhaled by their mothers during pregnancy.
Professor Ojengbede stressed the need for collaboration among scientists, policymakers, health professionals, community leaders.
