Use of firewood leads to health hazard

[Dan-Borno]

Mr Abdulmalik Nura, a scientist with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, has attributed the rising health problems among rural dwellers to smoke emited from firewood.

Nura, in a study he conducted on The Determinants of Firewood Demand and Supply in Bauchi, said that such smoke-induced health problems included coughing, chest pain and eye ailments.

The study, presented at the Council's monthly seminar yesterday in Abuja, showed that the frequency of cooking and time taken to cook meals also compounded the gravity of the ailments.

It said that the emission of firewood smoke had affected the health of people in many households.

The study, which collected data from 360 firewood collectors, sellers, buyers and users, said that the estimated demand for firewood in each household in Bauchi "is 5,521 metric tonnes per month. "This is akin to burning 27,607 metric ton of carbon per month,'' it said.

Besides, the study showed that the quantity and quality of the firewood purchased or sold in the Guinea ecological zone by marketers were significantly different from those in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone. It said that there were potential health and environmental degradation problems arising from continued firewood usage in the state.

The study recommended the adoption of the use of improved categories of stoves to reduce the impact of smoke on people's health and the environment.

Dr Raymond Ihenacho, a Director in the Council, who spoke on the study, urged the government to initiate a deliberate policy that would discourage the felling of trees for firewood.

Ihenacho said that government must ensure that rural dwellers had sustainable access to kerosine and other environment friendly sources of energy, as parts of efforts to stem the use of firewood.

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Malam Nura, its not only rural dwellers, muma yan birni we use
fire wood.  with extended family and quantity of the food to
cook, i doubt if the ordinary stove or gas cooker can augment
this wahala - ga kerosene yayi wahala - God dey.

[Sani Danbaffa]

Necessity is the mother of invention they say! I am aware of a factory along Hadejia Road where a few (4) concerned citizens upon the initiative of a Kano citizen Alh Ali Madugu (one of the 4 is from Bauchi) are working out something called makamashi out of saw dust and the like. The makamashi product is highly cost effective and is light. For inquiries contact Dala Foods in Sharada Kano I believe you might be happy to know more.