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The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Maada Bio, has been named Regional Clean Cooking Champion for West Africa, using the platform to call for urgent and collective action to address what she described as a growing public health and humanitarian crisis.
She made the statement on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, following the official launch of the ECOWAS 2026 Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) Programme, held alongside a High-Level Policy Dialogue on Clean Cooking, Gender Equality, and Child Protection in Sierra Leone.
In her remarks, the First Lady said she was “deeply honored” to accept the role, describing it as more than a ceremonial title. “This responsibility is not merely a title-it is a call to action,” she said, adding that it represents a commitment to millions of women and children whose lives are at risk due to limited access to clean cooking solutions.
According to her, the recognition was conferred during the official launch event, which she said was convened in response to the growing crisis of access to clean cooking across Africa. She pointed to global data indicating that more than 3.7 million people die annually from exposure to smoke and toxic fumes, noting that the majority of those affected are women and children.
Focusing on Sierra Leone, Mrs. Bio highlighted that only 1.5 percent of the population has access to clean cooking, leaving more than 98 percent reliant on biomass such as firewood. She described the situation as “not just an environmental concern” but “a national emergency and a public health crisis.”
The First Lady also used the occasion to acknowledge support from her husband, Julius Maada Bio, whom she credited for his leadership as President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of ECOWAS. She further expressed appreciation to development partners and organizations, including the Clean Cooking Alliance and PIECREF, as well as the ECOWAS delegation.
She also recognized the presence and contributions of Racheal Ruto and Samira Bawumia, both of whom she described as champions of clean cooking initiatives.
As Regional Clean Cooking Champion, Mrs. Bio called on governments, development partners, and communities across West Africa to act with urgency and unity to expand access to clean cooking solutions. She urged stakeholders to ensure that no woman dies due to a lack of access to safe cooking methods, and called for a transformation in how households cook across the continent.
The ECOWAS LPG Programme and the accompanying policy dialogue form part of broader regional efforts aimed at promoting clean energy adoption, improving public health outcomes, and advancing gender equality and child protection.
