The President of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina, has revealed that approximately 600,000 women and children die every year in Africa due to the lack of access to clean cooking sources.
Adesina made this disclosure during the Africa Energy Summit, which is currently taking place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The summit, themed “Mission 300,” is a collaborative effort between the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and other global partners aimed at addressing Africa’s electricity access gap through innovative financing and new technology. It was hosted by the Government of Tanzania.
Speaking during a panel discussion alongside representatives of the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank, Adesina explained that smoke from using firewood and charcoal for cooking is responsible for the deaths of 300,000 women and 300,000 children annually.
He described the deaths as a tragic consequence of inadequate access to clean cooking solutions, noting that over 1.2 billion African women lack such access.
“Another thing that is part of the agenda is access to clean cooking for women. Today we have 1.2 billion women in Africa without access to clean cooking and we lose 300,000 kids every single year that their mothers carry on their backs because of lack of access to clean food because of the secondary effect of smoke. We lose 300,000 women also every year,” he said.
Adesina lamented the needless loss of lives caused by unsafe cooking methods and called for urgent action.
“Why should anybody have to die just for trying to cook a decent meal that is taken for granted in other parts of the world? That is not acceptable! In good conscience, we just can’t do that.
“And that’s why a big part of what we’re trying to do is to make sure that women in Africa can cook decently without having to smoke; without their kids having to die because of that,” he said.
The AfDB president disclosed that universal access to clean cooking in Africa requires $4bn in annual funding, with the African Development Bank committing $2bn towards this goal.
He highlighted commitments by countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana to achieve 100 per cent access to clean cooking solutions by 2030.
Adesina emphasised that this initiative transcends energy transition, arguing it is about preserving lives and upholding dignity.
Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank Group, expressed optimism about the initiative, describing its objectives as achievable with the right approach.
He stressed the importance of creating a conducive environment for private sector participation through predictable currencies, stable regulatory frameworks, and effective land acquisition processes.
The President of the Rockefeller Foundation, Rajiv Shah, also called on global philanthropists to support the initiative, committing $65m to the programme.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasised the transformative impact of energy access on rural communities.
She highlighted its potential to drive change through digital financial services, online education, and e-commerce, particularly for women and youth.
However, she noted that achieving these goals would require significant financial reforms and private-sector engagement.
The summit is expected to produce two key outcomes: the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, which will outline commitments and actionable reforms from African governments, and the first set of National Energy Compacts, detailing country-specific targets and timelines for implementing critical energy sector reforms.
