Title: Clean Cooking Transitions, Deforestation Mitigation, and Policy Implications: Empirical Evidence from Household Fuel Dynamics in Oyo Town, Oyo State, Nigeria
Authors: Agbaje Falilu Olanrewaju
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Pages: 17-26
Publication Date: 2026/03/28
Abstract:
Household biomass fuel dependence is one of the most pervasive causes of deforestation and environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper discusses the relationship between the dynamics of household cooking fuel and pressure on deforestation in Oyo Town, Oyo State, Nigeria, and evaluates the environmental and policy implications of observed fuel transitions. Drawing on primary survey data from 250 stratified randomly selected households and using frequency analysis, cross-tabulation, a chi-square test of independence and a comparative zone-level analysis, the study documents a significant but incomplete transition from biomass fuels to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). While 71.60% of the households are reported to use LPG as their main fuel, 21.20% of households are still using firewood and charcoal, sustaining direct deforestation pressure to the forest-savannah ecosystems in Oyo State. Chi-square analysis shows a statistically significant relationship between residential zone and choice of fuel (chi-square = 11.42, df = 3, p = 0.010), with households in old areas showing an outsized dependence on biomass (37.6%). A pattern of fuel stacking is also recorded with households using LPG retaining charcoal or kerosene as a backup and sustaining residual deforestation demand: 83.60% of LPG households. The paper places these findings in the geographical zone of Nigeria's clean cooking policy framework, the energy-environment nexus theory and the global evidence base on cooking transitions and deforestation, formulating specific recommendations for completing the clean cooking transition in the case of Oyo Town and other such area in Nigeria.