Education
Cooking gas price hike forces Abuja residents to buy in bits – EnviroNews
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Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have resorted to buying cooking gas in small quantities as rising prices make full refills unaffordable.
The residents who spoke in Abuja on Sunday, said they could no longer afford to fill their cylinders, as doing so would affect their ability to meet other household needs.
Cooking gas currently sells for between N1,360 per kg and N1,700 per kg across the FCT, depending on the location and point of purchase, with some roadside retail vendors selling at higher rates.
At the current prices, a 5kg cylinder costs between N6,800 and N8,500, while a 12.5kg cylinder costs between N17,000 and N21,250, depending on the point of purchase.
Ms Cynthia Okafor, a public servant and resident of Kubwa, said she had resorted to buying only 5kg of gas at a time in spite of owning a 12.5kg cylinder.
“I have a 12.5kg cylinder, but I have been refilling only 5kg at a time, which lasts me for about two to three weeks, depending on how I use it.
“Filling up my gas cylinder will eat into my budget for other essential needs, so I have to work with what I can afford,” she said.
Similarly, Mrs Abosede Ojo, a resident of Apo and a civil servant, said she had stopped filling her 12.5kg cylinder because of the rising cost of cooking gas.
“I cannot remember the last time I filled up my 12.5kg gas cylinder because it is not sustainable.
“How will I spend N18,000 or more, sometimes N19,000, just to buy gas? How much is my salary?
“So, I buy 5kg or 7kg and combine it with my charcoal stove,” she said.
Also, Mr Japhet Azi, a resident of Lugbe, said filling his 12.5kg cylinder was no longer sustainable, forcing him to buy smaller quantities.
“I usually fill my 12.5kg cylinder halfway, and that lasts us for about three weeks.
“I am a civil servant, and spending between N17,500 and N18,000 just on gas is not something I can afford.
“I still have rent, fuel, school fees, electricity and water bills to pay, with a salary that is barely enough to take care of my family. So, I have to ration wherever necessary,” he said.
Mrs Chidinma Eze, a trader and resident of Nyanya, said the rising cost of cooking gas had forced her to reduce the quantity she bought and combine its use with a charcoal stove.
“I buy only what I can afford, and when the gas finishes and I do not have money for a refill, I switch to charcoal,” she said.
Mr Nura Abdullahi, a security guard in Gudu, said he bought gas based on the amount of money available to him.
“I just buy based on how much I have at the time. Sometimes, I buy as little as 2kg if that is what I can afford at that time,” he said.
Rakiya Mohammed, a resident of Gwagwalada, however, said she had no choice but to refill her 5kg cylinder because cooking gas was her only source of cooking.
“I deliberately chose not to buy a bigger cylinder because I live alone. I use a 5kg cylinder, which I usually refill.
“I have no option but to refill it, regardless of the cost, because gas is my only source of cooking,” she said.
Mohammed called on the government to provide incentives to cushion the rising cost of living for Nigerians.
Experts have attributed the increase in cooking gas price to supply disruptions, higher logistics costs and foreign-exchange volatility.
In response to rising cooking gas prices, the Federal Government on June 22 directed a clampdown on marketers engaged in the hoarding or diversion of LPG.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, issued the directive during an emergency stakeholders’ engagement on rising LPG prices, following deliberations with regulators, producers, marketers and other industry players.
Ekpo directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), other regulators and security agencies to intensify market surveillance, investigate product hoarding and diversion, and sanction operators found manipulating the market.
He said the Federal Government remained committed to increasing domestic supply, reducing reliance on imports and ensuring that locally produced LPG was prioritised for domestic consumption.
The NMDPRA, at the meeting, identified global supply disruptions and price volatility arising from the Israel-Iran conflict as major factors that had contributed to the upward pressure on LPG prices.
The authority also attributed the price situation to inadequate domestication of local LPG production, low import volumes, non-cost-reflective pricing by some wholesalers and retailers, poor distribution infrastructure and logistics challenges.
By Okeoghene Akubuike
