Amid economic hardship and indiscriminate increase in the price of cooking gas, some FCT residents have reportedly sought alternative sources such as use of charcoal and firewood for cooking.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), residents complained that the incessant rise in the price of cooking gas, has made it become unaffordable to the common man.
Similarly, the cost of charcoal is gradually rising owing to high demand, making some people switch to firewood.
According to NAN, a bag of charcoal which was initially sold between N3,500 to N4,000 now sells for N5,500 to N6000 per bag.
A resident of Gwagwalada Area Council, who identified herself as Mrs Victoria Amosu, said she has discontinued the use of cooking gas, adding that she uses firewood and charcoal which was not also cheap.
“I have stopped using cooking gas and I now use firewood or charcoal which the price is also increasing at alarming rate but more preferably that cooking gas.
“Before now, I buy 12.5kg of cooking gas for between N12,000 to N13,000 in 2023 but now it’s sold for between N15,750 to N16,400.
”I cannot continue to spend that much only on cooking gas.
“I use charcoal and firewood now although they are not cheap either but it is affordable and last more that the gas,” she lamented.
Another resident, Mr Dayo Kunle, a businessman at Maraba said the constant increase in price of cooking gas has made his wife to resort to firewood or charcoal stove as an alternative to cooking gas.
“Though we have refilled our gas cylinder, it is only used to warm our food when the need arises,” Dayo noted.
Another resident and restaurant owner, Mrs Gloria Ikenna, lamented the negative effect of the increased cost of gas on her business and profit.
Ikenna complained that she couldn’t use firewood or charcoal, as her business is located in a residential area, which prohibited the use of both, adding that the financial hit on her business is massive.
She further appealed to the government to find a lasting solution to the constant increase in the price of gas in order to help businesses like hers that relied on cooking gas.
