NASENI’s Powerstove: Promoting Environmental Protection and Carbon Credit 

As Nigeria confronts an energy crisis and rising environmental degradation, a home-grown innovation known as Powerstove is emerging as a game-changer in the clean cooking sector. Developed by a Nigerian startup and now backed by the federal government, through the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the clean Cookstove has been designed to […]

As Nigeria confronts an energy crisis and rising environmental degradation, a home-grown innovation known as Powerstove is emerging as a game-changer in the clean cooking sector. Developed by a Nigerian startup and now backed by the federal government, through the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the clean Cookstove has been designed to reduce deforestation, cut carbon emissions, and save lives.

According to the Africa Coalition for Sustainable Energy & Access (ACSEA), over 70 per cent of rural households rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking as the country grapples with widespread deforestation, desertification, and severe indoor air pollution; factors that contribute significantly to climate change and public health problems.

Women and children, who spend the most time near traditional stoves, are the most vulnerable, often suffering from respiratory illnesses caused by prolonged exposure to smoke. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Over 98,000 Nigerian women die annually from use of firewood. If a woman cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is equivalent to smoking between three and 20 packets of cigarettes a day.”

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In response to these challenges, NASENI, an agency under the Presidency, tasked with driving homegrown technological solutions, made strategic investment in the Powerstove Energy to develop innovative, clean cookstoves designed to revolutionize how Nigerians cook while protecting the environment.

Powered by biomass and embedded with a self-charging system that converts heat to electricity, the NASENI Powerstove offers a sustainable alternative to firewood and gas. It is engineered to burn cleaner and more efficiently, significantly reducing harmful emissions and the amount of fuel needed.

The NASENI Powerstove provides cleaner, more efficient cookstoves and bio-fuels to women while also giving them income-generation opportunities as business owners and entrepreneurs at the center of the clean cookstoves value chain. Increased access to NASENI Powerstove clean cookstoves can reduce the health and safety issues caused by household air pollution and decrease the time women spend collecting cooking fuel.

The use of the stove can help women reallocate their time to educational, income-generating, and leisure activities. The proprietary Powerstove built-in IoT technology will then help track (in real time), quantify and monetize the carbon offsets generated by the project and reinvest the funds in other community.

According to Engr. Ijeoma B. Nnoromele, the NASENI Team Lead on Powerstove, the clean cookstove innovation was borne out of personal loss experienced by the founder, Mr. Okey Esse, who lost his mother to respiratory illness caused by prolonged exposure to smoke from firewood; a common experience for many women in rural areas and food vendors in urban centers.

This inspired him to develop the clean cookstove technology. She said the health and security implications of traditional cooking methods are grave as one out of every four women and girls has been raped, assaulted, or beaten while searching for firewood in the rural areas. “Powerstove is not just a clean cooking solution, it is a life-saving alternative that addresses multiple challenges facing Nigerian women” she said.

Engr. Nnoromele said explaining how the Powerstove works, said the device uses bio-pellets or wood pellets in a specially designed combustion chamber to create a high-intensity flame that cooks food five times faster than traditional methods. The excess heat is converted into electricity, allowing users to charge mobile phones and power LED light bulbs.

The smokeless, zero-emission stove significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation while contributing to biodiversity restoration. By cutting down reliance on charcoal and firewood, the stove supports environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

Speaking on the stove’s impact on rural communities, Engr. Nnoromele said the smokeless design of NASENI Powerstove improves indoor air quality, helping to reduce illnesses such as emphysema and cataracts. Households using the powerstove can save up to 40 percent on fuel expenses. The built-in battery also provides off-grid electricity for phone charging and lighting—critical services in areas without reliable power.

She emphasized that the initiative is both humanitarian and environmental, offering clean, safe, and affordable cooking solutions while contributing to Nigeria’s carbon reduction goals. With increasing support from government and international partners, she said NASENI Powerstove is positioned to transform household energy use across the country.

Furthermore, NASENI has described its recent investment in Powerstove as a major milestone in its ongoing efforts to combat climate change and promote homegrown sustainable technologies. The Agency’s Director of Information, Mr. Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, said the move reflects NASENI’s broader commitment to supporting Nigerian companies that are leading the charge in decarbonization.

As part of the initiative, NASENI has provided both funding and technical support to enable Powerstove to scale its production from 100,000 units to over one million cookstoves annually. The expansion is expected to meet rising demand for clean cooking solutions while significantly reducing carbon emissions across the country.

Powerstove currently operates Nigeria’s largest private-sector carbon credit project, valued at 4.5 million credits. Ayeoyenikan noted that the investment not only supports a high-impact climate solution but also positions NASENI to benefit from carbon credit revenues; further strengthening the Agency’s drive for sustainable development and environmental innovation.

In an exclusive interview with CEO and founder, Powerstove Energy, Mr. Okey Esse, he stated that Powerstove’s main factory currently produces between 10,000 to 15,000 cookstoves monthly, with capacity to ramp up to 20,000 units. At full scale, output can reach up to 40,000 stoves per month, translating to an annual production estimate of 500,000 units.

To support further growth, the company is setting up ten new assembly factories across the country, each of which will receive pre-manufactured components from the main plant for final assembly and local distribution. Mr. Esse said the expansion is being implemented under a joint venture with global energy firm, ENI and U.S.-based partner Pastor Van Nys.

The new plants will be solar-powered and strategically located to drive local employment, support product distribution, and power community-based carbon credit programs. Already, 60 percent of the company’s energy needs at its main facility are powered by a 60kVA solar system.

Esse described the NASENI-Powerstove partnership with ENI as transformative, providing financing, technical support, visibility, and market access. According to him, the collaboration, now nearing two years, has led to substantial growth in revenue and operational capacity.

Powerstove currently offers 22 cookstove models tailored to rural, semi-urban, and urban households. Among its leading products are the X200, a dual-function stove that generates electricity for phone charging and lighting while cooking. The T100 combines pellets and water to create a smokeless, efficient flame, while the PS100 runs on both charcoal and pellets. Mr. Esse said product upgrades have improved usability and reduced the product return rate from five percent to less than one percent.

On safety, the Powerstove CEO said the stoves are subjected to rigorous fall tests and built to extinguish upon impact, significantly lowering fire risks. Products that generate electricity run on safe DC power and incorporate automotive-inspired cooling systems to ensure stability and safety.

In addition to online orders via its website, Powerstove operates physical sales outlets, known as Friendship Centres in Lagos and Enugu, with ten more planned for cities including Kano, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan. The company is also expanding its reach through partnerships with renewable energy groups and community organizations.

The NASENI-Powerstove project is also pioneering a digital approach to carbon credit generation. It recently launched its proprietary carbon standard at COP28 in Dubai and has already signed over $30 million worth of carbon credit contracts. The company has generated more than two million carbon credits to date, using Blockchain, IoT, and AI to ensure transparent tracking and reporting of emission reductions.

It has also secured a partnership with Canadian Blockchain firm, Generic AI to validate its carbon trading systems. With a focus on local manufacturing, clean technology, and climate finance, the NASENI Powerstove partnership is poised to revolutionize the clean cooking sector in Nigeria and set new global benchmarks in sustainable energy solutions.

This investment underscores the strong commitment of NASENI’s leadership to address climate change proactively and to build a resilient and sustainable ecosystem of innovative Nigerian companies with the potential to drive decarbonization efforts.

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