•Charcoal
Rising energy and living costs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and environs have forced many residents to abandon Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for firewood and charcoal to meet household demands.
With cooking gas prices fluctuating between N1, 400 and N1, 500 per kilogram, households are adopting cheaper, traditional cooking methods to survive, reports NAN.
The residents expressed concern over the rising cost of cooking gas and charcoal in separate interviews with our correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja.
They said they had relied on a combination of charcoal, firewood, and cooking gas over time, noting that households were now adopting alternative cooking methods to cope with increasing living expenses.
A survey by our correspondent indicated that a bag of charcoal now sells for between N8, 000 and N10, 000, while five pieces of firewood were sold for a negotiable price of N2, 000 to N2, 500.
A single piece goes for N300 to N500 while a litre of kerosene sells for between N2, 020 and N2, 100 at some retail outlets.
Mr Manasseh Amos, a public servant in Karu, said the fluctuating prices have placed additional pressure on family budgets, especially for low- and middle-income earners.
According to him, cooking gas remained a preferred option because of its convenience and cleanliness, but many households were now gradually returning to firewood and charcoal due to affordability challenges.
“The cost of refilling gas cylinders has become difficult for many families to sustain. A cubic metre is now N1, 350 to N1,400 in most stations in Abuja, including some neighbouring FCT communities.
“Before now, I could refill my 12.5kg cylinder for about N14, 000 or less, but now it costs between N16, 000 and N17, 000 or more, depending on the station.
“We sometimes have to reduce how often we cook with gas and alternate with charcoal instead, or buy less than 10kg to manage.”
Amos urged relevant stakeholders in the energy sector to address the challenges affecting the sector for the benefit of low-income earners.
Similarly, Mrs Nkechi Desmond, a resident of Dutse-Alhaji, said that charcoal has become her alternative cooking fuel, in spite of its rising price.
Desmond said the situation has left many families combining charcoal, gas and firewood, depending on its affordability at the time of need and the quantity of meal to be prepared.
Mr Salami Aderinto said that his family still preferred to use the cooking gas in spite of its high cost because of its convenience and cooking speed.
“For me, the cooking gas is safer and cleaner, but many families are left with limited choices because of its rising prices,” he said.
A roadside food vendor in Bwari, Hajiya Rabi Ahmadu, said that her business depended largely on firewood because it was cheaper for bulk cooking.
Ahmadu, who operates a local food business in the Bwari community, said that using cooking gas alone was no longer profitable for her, so she combined firewood and charcoal to prepare meals.
“If I use only gas for cooking, I may not make enough profit; firewood helps reduce the expenses, especially with my large cooking,” she said.
Mrs Ngozi Ekene, a charcoal and firewood seller in Nyanya, attributed the demand for firewood and charcoal to its affordability.
Ekene, who acknowledged patronage largely from roadside food vendors, also said that patronage from individual households had reduced due to hardship.
She said that some people who used to buy full bags of charcoal now buy half bags, others buy in paint buckets or in much smaller quantities as they can afford.
“Even though the price of charcoal has increased because transportation costs are high, I buy a bag for N8,000 or N9,000 and sell it for N10,000 because of the transportation cost.
“Customers who cannot afford to buy in large quantities still buy the quantity we sell for N500 or that of N200, depending on what they want to use it for at that moment,” she said.
Experts have repeatedly raised concerns over the health and environmental effects associated with the use of firewood and charcoal among rural dwellers.
