A recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that 65 per cent of Nigerian households rely on traditional cooking methods, with the three-stone cookstove being the most commonly used.
The findings were highlighted in the Nigeria General Household Survey-Panel (Wave 5) 2023/2024 report.
“The most common cookstove type used in the country is the three-stone/open fire, with 65.0 percent of households relying on this traditional cooking method,” the report noted.
The NBS report outlined stark differences between rural and urban areas. Traditional cooking methods were predominantly used in rural areas, with 78.8 per cent of households relying on the three-stone cookstove. The practice was even more widespread in certain regions, such as the North Central (72.1 per cent), North East (82.4per cent), North West (85.7 per cent), and South East (61.3 per cent) zones.
Conversely, urban areas were seeing a noticeable shift toward modern cooking technologies, with 49 per cent of households using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or natural gas. The South West zone led in adopting modern cooking technologies, with 51.per cent of households opting for LPG or natural gas.
The report also highlighted the preferred locations for cooking across Nigeria. Slightly more than half (51.2 per cent) of households using traditional cookstoves prefer outdoor cooking, while 37.9per cent cook indoors but outside the sleeping area. Only 1.8 per cent of households use their cookstoves in sleeping areas.
Geographical patterns also played a role. Households in the North East (59per cent) and North West (50.5 per cent) zones were more likely to cook indoors, while those in the North Central (60.7 per cent) and southern zones predominantly cooked outdoors or in separate buildings. This trend was consistent across urban (46.2 per cent) and rural (52.6 per cent) areas.
Wood remained the most-used cooking fuel in Nigeria, reported by 70.2per cent of households, followed by LPG at 23.2 per cent . The reliance on wood was especially pronounced in the North East (93.4 per cent) and North West (84.8per cent) zones.
In contrast, southern regions were more inclined toward LPG usage, with 35.3 per cent of households in the South South and 51.7 per cent in the South West using the modern cooking fuel.
The urban-rural divide was also evident, with urban households showing stronger reliance on LPG (50.5 per cent), while rural households overwhelmingly use wood (83.8 per cent).
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