Nigerians in urban areas may have returned to the most affordable cooking fuels – charcoal and firewood, due to the increase in the price of cooking gas.
Charcoal and firewood were used by mostly the locals and people living in semi-urban areas before the advent of cooking gas.
However, when cooking gas came into the picture, these other primitive fuels were relegated to the background because the difference between them, particularly in ease of use, was like day and night.
Now, it appears ease of use is no longer considered when people can no longer afford the cooking gas.
And so, a return to the cheaper option takes pre-eminence.
A random check shows that a portion of charcoal sells for between N500 and N1,000.
Also, the price of firewood goes for N700 per bundle of four sticks. This is against a 3kg of gas which costs around N4000
Economy&Lifestyle also discovered that in a bid to further cut cost, some Nigerians in urban areas now source firewood from bushes and farms .
This method of firewood sourcing is mostly found in rural areas.
An encounter with Mr Yekini Abdullahi, a vulcaniser, revealed that the firewood is placed in coal pots, instead of charcoal, when cooking.
“My wife and I spend so much on cooking gas and in this economic condition, such spending is not sustainable.
“Although charcoal is cheaper, the difference in price is not that much, so we decided to source for firewood from building sites or in some bush parts around our neighbourhood
“ So far, the experience hasn’t been any bad and we are enjoying cooking with firewood, which in any case, we didn’t spend much on.“We place the firewood in a coal pot, make a fire, and the deed is done.” (Vanguard)
