PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has been named the leading figure in Africa for championing the adoption of clean cooking energy.

Ibrahim Matola, the Energy minister for Malawi praised President Samia’s leadership and bold commitment to energy transition, at a meeting of energy and water ministers from member states of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in Harare on Thursday.

The meeting bringing together ministers from eight countries focused on clean cooking, where the Malawi cabinet minister proposed that Tanzania should be recognised as a regional ambassador for clean cooking energy.

Affirming that the president was setting the benchmark for other SADC countries to follow, he asserted that President Samia’s approach is practical, visionary and people-centred. “We must replicate this success across the region,” he urged.

The meeting was bent on strengthening regional integration in the energy and water sectors, with a particular emphasis on advancing access to modern, sustainable and clean energy for domestic use.

Judith Kapinga, the Energy deputy minister, said the government has made significant progress in encouraging the use of clean cooking energy through policy reform, raising public awareness and providing community education.

“We are committed to achieving the goals set out in our national clean cooking energy strategy for 2024–2034,” she said, pointing at promoting the use of affordable and environmentally friendly energy sources at household level.

The strategy outlines a clear roadmap to increase clean energy access for cooking among households, reducing reliance on traditional biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal, as they pose health and environmental risks, she stated.

She said the SADC zone needs to adopt a coordinated implementation framework to expand clean cooking access, with innovative approaches and inclusive policies that accommodate low-income households.

Alternative charcoal solutions such as eco-friendly briquettes are practical examples of technologies that could drive large-scale adoption if supported with adequate policy, investment and education, she elaborated.

“We need to be creative and proactive in how we promote clean cooking—this is not only an energy issue, but a matter of public health, environmental protection and economic sustainability,” she emphasized.

During the meeting, SADC ministers and experts hailed Tanzania for successfully hosting the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit on the Mission 300 agenda in Dar es Salaam.

The summit focused on accelerating access to reliable and modern energy across sub-Saharan Africa, mostly regarded as a milestone achievement under President Samia’s leadership, she stated.

The SADC ministers agreed on the need for a robust implementation plan to scale up clean cooking energy access, supported by regional cooperation, technology transfer and a public-private investment thrust, she added.