Kaduna Ends Firewood Use In Schools

Kaduna state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Andrew Nok, has said that the state government would phase out the use of firewood in its 29 boarding schools across the state.

Nok said that already contract had been awarded for the supply of cooking gas, burners, tanks, pots, boilers and other cooking equipment for distribution to the schools.

He made this known while receiving the second phase of the supplies at Queen Amina College Kaduna on Saturday.

Nok, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Higher Education, Mr John Gorah, said that using gas was cheaper, more hygienic, healthy and safe with minimal health risk compared with firewood.

“Using gas ensures clean environment, clean kitchen, clean cooking equipment, clean food and, of course, clean and healthy cooks.

“This is the second phase of the supplies. We have received the first consignment some time ago, and remaining the third phase which would be in two to three months’ time.

“So in the next two to three months, all boarding schools in the state would not be using firewood to cook. They would be using gas, which is cheaper and healthier,” the commissioner said.

On his part, the contractor, Mr Maiwada Buhari, assured the state government that the third phase of the supplies would be ready in three months.

Buhari said that the delay was because the equipment was coming from the United States and Turkey.

Queen Amina Vice Principal Academy, Malam Abdulsalam Abubakar, thanked the state government for the efforts, saying it would ensure hygienic food and healthy environment.

Abubakar told our reports that the new cooking system would boost the morale of the cooks who are mostly aged women and improve the quality of feeding of students.