Nigerians claim that the ongoing price increases for cooking gas are reducing their purchasing power.

Nigerians, who refer to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as cooking gas, have complained about the ongoing price increases.

They claimed that their buying power has been adversely affected by the circumstances.

Many Federal Capital Territory (FCT) citizens who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday expressed how difficult their circumstances were.

According to NAN, the price of a kilogramme of cooking gas varies depending on the region; also, the cost of refilling a 12.5 kg cylinder ranges from N15,750 to N18,750, compared to N12,500 to N13,000 in June and July.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics' (NBS) most recent cooking gas report for September, the average retail cost of refuelling a 5 kg cooking gas cylinder went up by 4.19 percent on a month-on-month basis from N6,430.02 in August to N6,699.63 in September.
Additionally, from N15,552.56 in August to N16,313.43 in September, the average retail price climbed by 4.89 percent month over month for refilling a 12.5 kg cylinder of cooking gas.

Mr Nnamdi Opara, a businessman and father of two, said he had to change his expenditures to account for the rise in the price of cooking gas.

"I simply try to make adjustments to account for price increases when they occur, especially when it comes to necessities like cooking gas.

"It's been a while since I filled my 12.5 kg cylinder to the fullest. I therefore buy about 5 kg or somewhat more, depending on my financial situation.

"If I spend only N16,000 on petrol, I won't have enough money to meet other needs. It is not like income has increased, and we all know the situation of the economy.
"The government must act immediately to allow Nigerians to breathe, as we are not breathing," he declared.

According to Mrs Memunat Ogunyemi, a public worker, some people have gone back to using conventional cooking methods as a result of the rise in cooking gas.

"I told my parents and family members that gas is faster and cleaner than kerosene and charcoal when the government was educating Nigerians about the need to end deforestation and switch to cooking gas.

A 12.5-cylinder petrol cylinder cost N6,500 at that time. Depending on where you live, a cylinder of the same size today costs between N16,000 and N17,000.

How many individuals, when added to other costs like food and transportation, can afford to buy it? My mother has resumed using charcoal and I also use a charcoal stove as an alternative now.”
Ogunyemi also mentioned that the cost of accessories had gone up, including hose regulators and cylinders.

Mother of three and nurse Ella Joshua claimed that the ongoing price increases prevented her from filling her 12.5 kilogramme cooking gas tank.

I can't afford to fill my 12.5 kilogramme, therefore I haven't done so in a while. I can only fill 6 kilogrammes at a time.

When there are a lot of dishes or meals to prepare, I turn to cooking over charcoal. Regretfully, charcoal is becoming more and more expensive as well; a bag is currently marketed for N10,000.

She declared, "The government must hear the cries of Nigerians."