By: Isatu Bai Kamara
The Clean Cooking Accelerator Platform on Friday, December 5, 2025, convened a high-level review meeting at the Ministry of Energy to take stock of progress made so far in advancing clean cooking initiatives in Sierra Leone, while also examining emerging regional opportunities, private-sector partnerships, and policy challenges affecting the sector.
The meeting, held at the Ministry’s conference facility, was jointly chaired by the Deputy Minister of Environment and the Deputy Minister of Energy II. It brought together representatives from government institutions, development partners, and sector stakeholders, and opened with formal introductions by members in attendance.
Providing a detailed briefing, Ms. Aminata Wurie, Lead of the Clean Cooking Delivery Unit, presented an extensive update on regional and national developments in the clean cooking space. She informed members of plans by an international organisation preparing to roll out clean cooking distribution across West Africa, largely through partnerships with private-sector actors. According to her, the initiative aims to strengthen market penetration of clean cooking technologies while aligning regional standards and regulatory frameworks.
Ms. Wurie explained that ongoing work is underway to establish regional standards and testing mechanisms to support the West African clean cooking programme. She further disclosed that technical and institutional support is being provided to strengthen the ECRE Association, which plays a key role in advancing electric cooking solutions within the region.
She also highlighted sustained advocacy efforts aimed at promoting the adoption of clean cooking technologies, noting that these initiatives are essential for addressing health, environmental, and energy-access challenges. As part of her presentation, Ms. Wurie outlined the regional institutional framework governing electric cookers and confirmed that clean cooking cooperation agreements have already been signed with several African countries, including Benin, Togo, and Senegal.
Turning to upcoming activities, Ms. Wurie informed the platform about the ECOWAS LPG Programme scheduled for the following week. She said the programme would feature a large-scale sensitisation campaign targeting approximately 10,000 LPG cylinders and canisters, aimed at increasing public awareness and encouraging safe and affordable LPG use.
She used the opportunity to commend the Deputy Minister of Energy II for effectively managing the duty waiver process in her absence, describing it as a significant achievement that helped ease the importation of clean cooking equipment.
Ms. Wurie also briefed the meeting on developments involving BB Energy, which she said is currently in the process of securing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government. She explained that the company is exploring opportunities in carbon finance linked to LPG distribution, adding that such financing mechanisms could support the sustainability of clean cooking initiatives.
In addition, she revealed plans to expand the Clean Cooking Delivery Unit, supported by a project fund worth several thousand dollars provided by Germany and other European partners. She further disclosed that a Ghana-based company has expressed strong interest in collaboration, with plans already underway to engage the firm. Ms. Wurie also reminded the platform of an Algerian company that had previously shown interest in entering Sierra Leone’s clean cooking market.
Reiterating details about the Ghanaian firm, she noted that the company specialises in canister-based cooking solutions, which could complement existing LPG distribution models in the country.
Reacting to the updates, the Minister of Energy, Cyril Grant, congratulated the clean cooking team for successfully securing the duty waiver. He observed that such processes should not become an annual challenge and emphasised the need for more predictable policy and administrative arrangements.
Minister Grant assured the platform that he would personally review the various MoUs currently under consideration. However, he expressed reservations regarding BB Energy, pointing out that the company does not manufacture cookstoves and may risk overshadowing local producers. He requested clarity on the type of stoves the company intends to introduce into the market.
In response, Ms. Wurie explained that BB Energy plans to introduce efficient cookstoves designed to improve fuel use and reduce emissions.
In his closing remarks, Minister Grant encouraged the Clean Cooking Team to sustain active engagement with the private sector, stressing that well-structured partnerships are critical to ensuring that ordinary Sierra Leoneans fully benefit from clean cooking initiatives.
The Deputy Minister of Environment, in his intervention, underscored the importance of integrating carbon credits into clean cooking projects, noting that carbon financing could provide long-term support for the sector while strengthening incentives for private investment. He also emphasised the need to ensure sustained support for local cookstove producers so they are not displaced by large international players.
The Deputy Minister further updated the meeting on preparations for the second series of the clean cooking television programme, which he said will focus on raising public awareness about the affordability, safety, and health benefits of cooking with gas.
As the meeting drew to a close, the Deputy Minister of Environment thanked participants for their contributions and acknowledged the challenges of securing broad attendance during the festive season, which he said contributed to the low turnout of private-sector partners.
The Deputy Minister of Energy II raised concerns about the duration of the LPG subsidy, seeking clarification on how long it would be sustained. No definitive timeline was provided, though Minister Grant advised the platform to fully understand the business models of private-sector partners before entering into binding commitments.
Also contributing to the discussions, Ms. Zainab, representing PICREF, observed that LPG prices vary significantly across the market. She stressed the need for closer examination of the pricing discrepancies, noting that marketers are currently selling gas at different rates, a situation that could undermine affordability and public confidence in LPG adoption.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen coordination among stakeholders and to address policy, pricing, and market challenges as Sierra Leone accelerates its transition to clean cooking solutions.