Nigerian households revert to firewood as prices of kerosene, LPG soar

Nigerian households are reverting to the use of firewood as alternative cooking fuel as prices of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) or cooking gas and Kerosene continued to rise.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) the price of household kerosene rose to N520 per litre in some states while the average across board was N370.34 per litre.

As a result the price increase for July 2021 stood at 7.31 per cent, while cooking gas price for 5kg cylinder rose to N2,600 with an average of N2,141.59 in July.

The NBS website reports that the “Average price per litre paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene increased by 7.31 per cent month- on-month and by 18.42 per cent year-on-year to N370.34 in July 2021 from N370.29 in June 2021.

“States with the highest average price per litre of kerosene were Ebonyi (N520.83), Taraba (N491.67) and Jigawa (N457.41). States with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Bayelsa (N241.67), Adamawa (N316.67) and Niger (N338.64). Similarly, average price per gallon paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene increased by 3.78% month-on-month and by 7.88% year-on-year to N1,302.56 in July 2021 from N1,255.15 in June 2021. States with the highest average price per gallon of kerosene were Ekiti (N1,591.67), Plateau (N1,556.25) and Abuja (N1,480.00). States with the lowest average price per gallon of kerosene were Yobe (N1,080.00), Rivers (N1,081.58) and Bayelsa (N1,088.46).

Average price for the refilling of a 5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) increased by 3.52% month-on-month and by 8.64% year-on-year to N2,141.59 in July 2021 from N2,068.69 in June 2021. States with the highest average price for the refilling of a 5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Akwa Ibom (N2,600.00), Benue (N2,540.00) and Bauchi (N2,486.86). States with the lowest average price for the refilling of a 5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Abuja (N1,806.15), Lagos (N1,840.80) and Ondo (N1,842.94).

“Similarly, average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) increased by 3.11% month-on-month and by 7.16% year-on-year to N4,422.32 in July 2021 from N4,289.05 in June 2021. States with the highest average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Abuja (N5,050.00), Gombe (N5,000.00) and Kogi (N4,985.00). States with the lowest average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Kaduna (N3,718.09), Zamfara (N3,725.38) and Oyo (N3,859.97).