A recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that 65% of Nigerian households rely on traditional cooking methods, with the three-stone cookstove being the most widely used across the country.
The report, part of the Nigeria General Household Survey-Panel (Wave 5) 2023/2024, highlights significant regional and urban-rural disparities in cooking practices. Rural areas remain heavily dependent on the three-stone cookstove, with usage rates as high as 85.7% in the North West, 82.4% in the North East, and 72.1% in the North Central zone. In contrast, urban households are gradually adopting modern cooking technologies, with almost half relying on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or natural gas.
The South West leads in the adoption of modern cooking methods, with 51% of households in the region opting for LPG, compared to the North East, where wood remains the dominant cooking fuel for 93.4% of households.
The report also revealed that over half of households using traditional cookstoves prefer cooking outdoors, while indoor cooking is more common in the North East and North West.
The findings underscore the need for greater efforts to transition households toward cleaner, more sustainable cooking technologies, especially in rural and underserved regions.
