FCTA rolls out ‘breathe clean air’ scheme, provides 5,000 households with free gas cylinders

The federal capital territory administration (FCTA) has launched “Breathe clean air initiative,” which will provide over 5,000 households with free gas cylinders and six months of cooking gas.

Speaking at the unveiling of the initiative in Abuja on Saturday, Adedolapo Fasawe, mandate secretary of the FCTA health and environment secretariat (FCT-HES), said the programme targets households that rely on firewood and charcoal.

Fasawe said the move will cut indoor pollution, protect women and children, and improve public health across the FCT.

She added that the scheme goes beyond distributing palliatives, noting that the goal is to change habits, reduce environmental hazards, and empower women to protect their homes and health.

According to her, the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, “which has touched every area of human life with the aim of improving standards of living”.

Fasawe said Nyesom Wike, FCT minister, has embraced the presidential vision with “enough commitment towards making the FCT a better place for all”.

“The truth is that health is wealth. Health and environment are equal,” she said.

“So, the focus of this programme is not only to give out palliatives, as we’ve done in the past.

“The focus of this programme is to address the renewed hope agenda initiatives.

It’s to tell Nigerians that if only we can put our hands together and not wait for governments alone, we can have a happy, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria. Because truly, with peace and prosperity Nigeria will be great again.”

Babayena Adams, permanent secretary at the health services and environment secretariat, said the programme would reduce the physical strain women, especially pregnant women, face when sourcing cooking fuel.

“We’re also saving the pregnant women, along with the family,” Adams said.

“So, if they live healthy, they’ll be more productive, and the GDP of FCT will increase. So, a healthy community is a wealthy community, so that’s the benefit.”

Mohammed Darwish, chief executive officer (CEO) of IHS Nigeria Limited, one of the project partners, said the distribution of cylinders and the accompanying six-month voucher would encourage long-term adoption of cooking gas.

“This programme, in a nutshell and simple English, is about helping 5,000 mothers, sisters, and daughters by not inhaling toxic gases anymore, and by really making sure that their health is better by breathing fresh air,” he said.

Ayotade Oyinlola, executive vice-president of IHS, said families would spend less on medical bills arising from smoke-related illnesses.

Ayuba Usman, consultant radiation and clinical oncologist at the National Hospital Abuja, described the initiative as a preventive health measure that promotes lifestyle improvement.

Daniela Omotola, a Rotaract organiser supporting the campaign, said the intervention would “reduce pollution-related illnesses and support a healthier FCT”.

Stakeholders at the launch said wide adoption of cooking gas could help reverse tree loss, soil degradation and rising temperatures caused by continued reliance on firewood.