PARIS: Tanzania has dramatically increased access to clean cooking energy, expanding coverage from 6.9% in 2021 to 23.2% in 2025, one of the fastest-growing energy transitions in sub-Saharan Africa, officials say.
Despite the progress, roughly 76.8% of Tanzanians continue to rely on traditional fuels such as firewood and charcoal, highlighting the scale of the challenge still facing the country’s households.
Minister for Energy, Deogratius Ndejembi, announced the figures at a High-Level Ministerial Dialogue hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris on Wednesday.
He said the surge reflects deliberate policy reforms, innovative financing and increased private sector participation aimed at accelerating the adoption of clean, safe, and affordable cooking solutions.
“The expansion of clean cooking access is not only an environmental and public health measure, but also an emerging economic sector creating jobs in manufacturing, distribution and maintenance,” Ndejembi said.
The progress follows Tanzania’s participation in the first Africa Clean Cooking Energy Summit, which mobilised $2.2bn in pledges for continent-wide initiatives. Implementation is expected through national programmes under the country’s ten-year National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy 2024–2034, launched by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in May 2024.
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The roadmap aligns policies, regulatory frameworks, financing mechanisms, and private sector engagement.
For the 2025/26 financial year, Tanzania plans to distribute 200,000 improved cookstoves and 450,000 subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
Authorities are also piloting pay-as-you-go models for electric cooking appliances via electricity bills through the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) to reduce upfront costs for households.
In a further policy shift, firewood and charcoal have been banned in public institutions serving over 100 people, including schools and hospitals, to reduce indoor air pollution and environmental degradation.
The IEA estimates that universal access to clean cooking in Africa could be achieved by 2040, but requires investment of around $2bn annually, underscoring the continent’s persistent financing gap.
Tanzania has pledged continued collaboration with development partners and private investors to accelerate nationwide adoption, while contributing to climate change mitigation and public health improvements.
