ERWAP Energy Initiative is an independent non-profit organisation working to reduce the health, education, and environmental impacts of air pollution and energy poverty in underserved communities across Nigeria and West Africa.

Our work focuses especially on women and children, who are disproportionately affected by indoor air pollution from firewood-based cooking, unsafe waste practices, and limited access to clean energy. By promoting clean cooking solutions, climate change education, and community-led action, we support healthier homes, safer learning environments, and more resilient communities.

As a climate change education and adaptation organisation, we collaborate with community leaders, women’s groups, schools, health workers, and local institutions to ensure that climate knowledge and clean energy awareness reach those most at risk. We believe that empowering women as caregivers and decision-makers is central to protecting children’s health and improving long-term outcomes for families.

At ERWAP Energy Initiative, we recognise that meaningful climate action must be locally driven. When communities understand the links between energy use, air pollution, health, and education, they are better equipped to change harmful practices and adopt safer, more sustainable alternatives. An informed and engaged community is one of the strongest tools for protecting both people and the planet.

ERWAP Energy began during the postgraduate studies of founder Rashida A. Bamgbola in Energy Economics at the University of Ibadan. While studying renewable energy, she encountered evidence highlighting the deadly effects of indoor air pollution on African women and children. That moment revealed the urgent need for practical, community-level solutions.

What started as EWAP (Energize Women for Africa Project) evolved into ERWAP – Environmental Resource Waste Against Pollution, expanding from women’s energy access to broader community-focused clean energy education and waste-to-energy awareness.

Today, ERWAP Energy Initiative works at the intersection of clean cooking, climate education, and public health, supporting communities to reduce air pollution, improve wellbeing, and build climate resilience through locally appropriate solutions.

Our Focus Areas

ERWAP Energy Initiative works to:

Promote clean cooking and safe energy practices that reduce indoor air pollution exposure for women and children

Deliver climate change and air pollution education in schools and communities

Support communities to better manage household and agricultural waste in environmentally responsible ways

Empower women and young people as key agents of change in household energy decisions

From Oyo State to partner communities across West Africa, we continue to expand our impact one community at a time.

OUR VISION 

To become the leading organization in climate change education and adaptation at the grassroots level by 2030  raising awareness, driving action, and delivering practical solutions that combat the realities of climate change in Africa.

OUR MISSION

To empower communities, especially women as primary caregivers, and children as key beneficiarieswith the knowledge and tools needed to reduce air pollution, access clean and sustainable energy, and build climate resilience, one village and one family at a time.

Open-air waste burning and smoke from household cooking remain major sources of toxic air pollution in many communities. Through our community awareness sessions, ERWAP Energy Initiative supports residents, schools, and local groups to understand the health risks of air pollution and adopt safer practices.

These sessions are designed to be inclusive, practical, and non-confrontational, helping communities protect their health and environment through shared learning and collective action.

Request a Community Air Pollution Awareness Session
Contact ERWAP Energy Initiative to learn more about our education and outreach activities.

Logos shown represent organisations that have collaborated with or supported ERWAP Energy Initiative through awareness activities, community engagement, or technical knowledge-sharing.