The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, has signed a multilateral financing and implementation agreement to support the Forward7 initiative in Nigeria. The agreement, formalized at the Ministry of Energy in Riyadh, involves ITFC, the Trade Development Fund (TDFD), the Oil Sustainability Programme (OSP), and BURN Manufacturing. It aims to manufacture and distribute 20,000 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooking kits to low-income Nigerian households, each including a gas cylinder, stove, accessories, and training for safe use. 

The signing occurred in the presence of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, and Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the IsDB Group. The agreement was signed by Eng. Adeeb Y. Al-Aama, CEO of ITFC and Chairman of TDFD’s Executive Committee, Eng. Mohammed bin Haitham Al-Tayyar, representing Forward7, and Lev Herrom, CFO of BURN Manufacturing. A separate commitment agreement was signed between Eng. Abdulrahman Bin Sulaiman, CEO of GASCO, and Eng. Adeeb Y. Al-Aama, designating TDFD to manage and disburse funds. 

This initiative, the first under the Forward7 umbrella, aligns with the Middle East Green Initiative launched in 2021 and supports Sustainable Development Goal 7 for accessible, sustainable energy. The project includes eight years of LPG refill support, funded by carbon credit revenues, and has reduced kit costs by 63%, enhancing affordability. This model, blending grants, carbon credits, and public-private collaboration, offers a scalable solution for clean cooking access across OIC member states, as noted in a report by APO Group on behalf of ITFC.