NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

The apparatus which comes as a set comprising an aluminium funnel, a tripod stand, a pot and safety device against reflection of sun rays, has been tested with different kinds of raw foods which were successfully cooked into edible meals. “This stove can prepare all manner of food including beans, yam, infact all staple foods consumed in Nigeria can be cooked with this appliance,” says Sogunro, adding “you can even make eba with it if the required amount of garri and normal quantity of water is put in the pot for a short time.”

Another benefit of the product he says, apart from its cost efficiency, is time-friendly. It requires less amount of time to cook a measure of beans on the stove than it would if kerosine is used depending on the availability of solar energy gotten from the sun. So does it mean that without the sun, funnel solar cooker cannot be used? “Not exactly,” says the CEO. He explains emphatically that though the appliance cannot function when it rains, its speed of operation depends on the intensity of sunlight available outside at a point in time. “In any case what this innovation seeks to achieve is saving cost that would have gone in for fuel and take advantage of God-given energy from the sun instead,” he says.

He goes on to explain that because of its mass appeal, the product could be engaged for the poverty alleviation programme of government especially at the rural areas where the cost of kerosine is more expensive than what obtains in urban centres of the country. “If taken to the rural areas where folks fell trees ands use them as firewood for cooking, it would even help in forest conservation and afforestation project of government,” he says, adding that “our aim is to promote the use of renewable energy through research and manufacturing, to relieve the ever increasing energy and environmental problem of Nigeria in particular, as well as to contribute to the de-acceleration of global warming in general.” According to him, the product could be produced in a gigantuam size whereby an entire rural community can use for cooking meals for all the households and families.
Story found here.