Replace Firewood and Kerosene Cooking in 5 Million Nigerian Homes

Over 80 million Nigerians still cook on firewood or kerosene. The resulting indoor air pollution kills an estimated 100,000 Nigerians annually, disproportionately affecting women and children. Improved cookstoves and LPG programmes have made limited headway because the upfront cost — even ₦8,000 for a basic LPG cylinder and stove — is prohibitive for households earning under ₦60,000 a month. Your challenge is to design a clean cooking transition programme that reaches households currently cooking on firewood in one Nigerian state. You may choose LPG, improved biomass stoves, biogas, or electric cooking — but you must show that total monthly cooking costs for the target household decrease or remain equal after switching, and that the transition is achievable without a government subsidy per household. Submit a programme design document (max 12 pages) including: the cooking technology chosen, a household economics analysis, the financing or subsidy model, the distribution and customer support model, environmental impact calculation, and a plan to reach 100,000 households in year one. Judging criteria: 35% household economics credibility, 30% distribution and financing model, 20% environmental impact, 15% scale plan.