FuelTree Limited and the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) have sealed a strategic partnership aimed at increasing access to clean energy in Nigeria’s farming communities, aiming to enroll 100,000 rural and peri-urban farming households into FuelTree’s Virtual Cylinder Recirculation Model (vCRM).
The collaboration is in line with Nigeria's national clean energy and climate commitments, including the Climate Change Act, the Decade of Gas Initiative, the Energy Transition Plan, the National Clean Cooking Policy and Nigeria's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under international climate frameworks. It also supports broader efforts to tackle climate change while strengthening rural economic development.
Formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the partnership connects FuelTree's clean energy delivery systems and digital infrastructure with FACAN's extensive nationwide network of agricultural cooperatives, commodity associations and producers. FACAN is the apex coordinating body for agricultural commodity associations in Nigeria and operates under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Under the programme, participating households will get access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) solutions through an affordable, technology-enabled model designed to improve last mile access, traceability and sustainable usage. The VCRM framework integrates smart tracking tools, digital payment platforms and embedded financing options, including buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) and microcredit facilities tailored to the operational realities of farming communities.
Commenting on the initiative, FuelTree Director, Dr. Bekem Olowola, emphasized the broader socio-economic and health implications of clean energy access. “Access to clean energy within farming communities has a direct impact on productivity, health outcomes, environmental protection and household resilience, especially given that more than 120,000 deaths annually are linked to household air pollution. By embedding clean cooking solutions within existing cooperative and payroll structures, this program is designed to move beyond one-time distribution toward sustainable and scalable adoption.”
