Rising cooking gas prices have forced some households in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to combine Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) with firewood and charcoal as they struggle to cope with the rising cost of living.
Residents who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday said cooking gas now sells for between N1,380 and N2,000 per kilogramme, depending on location and source.
They said the high cost had made them resort to cheaper alternatives, with some households switching between gas, charcoal and firewood depending on what they could afford.
A survey showed that a bag of charcoal currently sells for between N10,000 and N15,000, while a mini-truck load of firewood costs between N10,000 and N13,000.
Mrs Grace Ameh, a firewood seller, said she buys firewood in bulk for N85,000 and sells five pieces for N1,000.
According to her, while some residents prefer the convenience of gas, others have returned to firewood because of the cost of LPG.
“Gas is stressless and better than firewood, but I don’t have a choice,” Ameh said, adding that she had learned to cope with the smoke because firewood was readily available in the area.
For Mrs Ngozi Okeke, a charcoal vendor and resident, the business is no longer as lucrative as it used to be, partly because residents now have several cooking options.
She said charcoal had become an alternative for some households following the scarcity of kerosene, but its price had also risen significantly.
Okeke said a bag of charcoal that sold for between N3,000 and N4,500 about four years ago now costs between N9,000 and N10,000.
She added that vendors sometimes reduced the quantity sold to maintain their profit margins when their purchase prices increased.
Another resident, Mrs Asisat Yunusa, said she currently pays N1,500 to refill one kilogramme of cooking gas.
Yunusa said the quantity lasts about five days in her household, while two kilogrammes could last between one and two weeks, depending on how frequently the family cooks.
She, however, said gas purchased from filling stations lasted longer than that bought from black-market vendors.
Miss Sherifat Bello said she also combines gas with charcoal because the latter is more accessible.
Bello said she sometimes buys gas from black-market vendors, where one kilogramme now costs about N1,700, compared with N1,400 previously.
She said the quantity typically lasts three to four days when bought from the black market, while the same quantity from a filling station could last up to one week.
Mr Paul Ibe, a taxi driver, said the cost and availability of cooking fuels were increasingly influencing household choices.
According to him, although LPG is more convenient and produces less smoke, its high cost and the distance to some filling stations have made firewood and charcoal more accessible to some residents.
He appealed for more affordable and accessible cooking fuel options to reduce the financial burden on households and encourage more residents to adopt cleaner cooking methods.
