Make LPG affordable and accessible to African Women – Asante
A Deputy Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mrs. Linda Boamah Asante has called on African governments to implement policies and programmes to make Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) more affordable and accessible to women.
She emphasized that this approach would mitigate the health hazards women face when using biomass, such as wood fuel and charcoal, for cooking.
Her advocacy for affordable and accessible LPG for women aligns with broader efforts to improve health, safety, and gender equality in energy access across Africa.
Speaking at the “African Energy Week” conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Mrs. Asante stressed the importance of ensuring LPG availability to women, especially in rural areas.
In these regions, women are primarily responsible for cooking, and they are most exposed to emissions from biomass, which can have adverse health effects.
The discussion, moderated by Dr. Baah Nuakoh, General Manager for Strategy and Investment at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), featured key industry figures, including Damilola Owalaboi, CEO of Selai Gas, Philippe Hoeblich, Co-founder of PayGas, Mfano Nkutha, COO of Strategic Fuel Fund, and Nicholas Mignot, CFO of Sahara Energy International.
Mrs. Asante underscored the safety, cleanliness, and reliability of LPG and urged African countries to implement regulations that promote increased LPG consumption.
Sharing Ghana’s experience, Mrs. Asante revealed that the country has a National LPG Policy with the aim of achieving 50% LPG penetration by 2030.
She explained the specific measures taken to achieve this goal, including the implementation of the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) to make LPG readily accessible to all, with a particular focus on women.
Under the CRM programme, Mrs. Asante detailed a comprehensive value chain involving LPG bottling plants, cylinder exchange points, and retail shops, allowing consumers to easily exchange their empty cylinders for filled ones based on their needs.
The program was initiated on September 1, 2023, in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions of Ghana, with plans for further expansion.
Responding to a question about educating consumers on the safe use of LPG, Mrs Asante highlighted the NPA’s ongoing efforts in sensitizing the public.
The Consumer Services Unit and Gas Department have been actively engaging with schools, churches, mosques, and markets to raise awareness about the safe and convenient use of LPG, emphasizing its benefits over traditional biomass fuels.
In her concluding remarks, Mrs. Asante emphasized the commitment of the Cylinder Recirculation Model program, declaring LPG as the way forward for Ghana.
