Experts brainstorm on unlocking potentials of clean cooking solutions.

The webinar, under the theme: “Unlocking the potential of clean cooking through economic freedom in Cameroon”, is part of a programme CEPI is implementing dubbed “Climate Finance”.

While moderating the session, the CEPI National Coordinator, Haiwang Djamo, said that the challenge of clean cooking in Cameroon is a major health, economic, and environmental issue. 

He pointed out that more than 70% of households still rely on firewood and charcoal, exposing populations, especially women and children, to harmful indoor pollution and contribute to forest degradation and increased greenhouse gas emissions. 

Despite the availability of safer and more modern technologies, Djamo said their adoption remains low due to high costs, limited awareness, restricted distribution networks, and insufficient supportive public policies.

He then mentioned that the objective of the exchange is to identify the technological, economic, and institutional barriers that hinder the adoption of clean cooking solutions, as well as to highlight the opportunities for job creation, local innovation, and inclusive growth that the sector can generate.

In his submission during the exchange, Engineer Njiki Boris, who is also an entrepreneur, indicated that clean cooking in the Cameroonian context is a combination of technology, fuel type, and user behaviour. 

According to him, behavioural aspects are crucial as without proper awareness, even the best improved cookstoves will not be adopted. 

He also stressed that technology (improved cookstoves, gas stoves, electric cookers) and fuel type (biogas and renewable electricity) remain essential determinants.

Among the economic barriers, Njiki emphasised the need for training programmes enabling actors to meet international standards while adding that Cameroon could also develop its own standards adapted to its environment.  

On the other hand, the CEO of TEMA Green Engineering, Francois Awounkeu, believes that Cameroon’s main delay lies in its economic model with over 70% of households still relying on wood and charcoal, reflecting a lack of strategy and investment. 

He also cited the case of universities in the country that do not provide adequate training geared toward clean energy, limiting innovation and the development of clean cooking technologies. 

According to Awounkeu, the need for energy and cooking solutions in Cameroon is immense, yet few organisations fully grasp the economic opportunities that the sector offers. 

He then called for stronger advocacy; raising awareness among firewood users about available alternatives, encouraging the Ministry of SMEs, Social Economy, and Handicrafts to include specific support measures in existing financing mechanisms, and supporting small organisations involved in production, distribution, and maintenance of clean cooking equipment. 

On the legislative front, he stressed the importance of informing populations and economic actors about government commitments.  

On his part, the Head of ICLEI Africa Clean Cooking Centre, Ben Ongongo, pointed out that the main barrier to financing is the low adoption rate. He said clean cooking solutions remain too expensive in Cameroon as cooking with electricity is far costlier than using wood or charcoal. 

Noting that households cannot afford the high cost involved, Ongongo also emphasised the need for better awareness, not only about available technologies but also about their use and related risks.

To improve competitiveness, Ongongo proposed reducing taxes to lower prices, stimulate local production, and encourage competition. He argued that this would also help create jobs in processing, in line with African policies promoting local value addition.

It is worth mentioning that the webinar is one of several activities organised by Cameroon Economic Policy Institute, driven by its mission to improve economic development through fact-based research, policy advocacy and trainings to boost entrepreneurship and free market ideas. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3650 of Tuesday December 09, 2025