FUEL SUBSTITUTION AND EFFICIENT WOODSTOVES - ARE THEY THE ANSWERS TO THE FUELWOOD SUPPLY PROBLEM IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Fuelwood consumption in Northern Nigeria exceeds the sustainable production, and the deficit is currently met through long-distance transport from the southern part of the country at an artificially low cost. Current household fuel consumption patterns and factors affecting stove choice are discussed. Little has been done to promote more efficient woodstoves in the region, but prospects for stove programs are only good where fuelwood is marketed and the policy environment is conducive. At subsidized official prices for kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and electricity, wood is more expensive on a net usable heat basis, but the high capital cost of stoves for these fuels prevents many households from switching. Moreover, these fuels are often only available at much higher parallel market prices, which result in wood being the less expensive choice. There is little prospect for substitution of coal, solar cookers, or biogas digesters.