The Rural Stakeholders Forum held on the 13th November 2014 at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja. The forum, which had in attendance RUWES Advisory Board Chair, the Minister of Environment and the outgoing Permanent Secretary, was the first since the inauguration of RUWES on 10th December 2013.
The focus of the workshop was to introduce RUWES to new partners; largely women drawn from the paramilitary agencies and faith based organisations. Also in attendance were development partners from Heinrich Boll Foundation, the Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility, United Nations Development Programme, Winrock International.
There was an exhibition and demonstration of clean energy technologies by private manufacturers and distributors such as All-Go clean fuel makers of ethanol fuel and stoves, Integra Renewable Energy Services, Roshan Global Services Limited manufacturer of Happy Energy Saving stoves and Solar force.
The presence of new and existing cookstove and lighting energy producers and marketers was to allow for interactions with the end user to address issues of quality control while taking into consideration preference of users. This would ensure that the best quality clean energy products are offered to them through the RUWES Initiative.
This is necessary to sustain interest, use of products, minimise complaints and thus increase the credibility of the initiative all of which are required to expand the impact of RUWES.