Many Nigerian households are reverting to alternative cooking methods such as charcoal, sawdust, and firewood following the persistent rise in cooking gas prices.
Findings by Economy&Lifestyle revealed that the once-abandoned sawdust stove is making a comeback, as average families struggle to cope with prohibitive gas prices.
At present, cooking gas costs between ₦1,600 and ₦2,000 per kilogram, and many gas stations are unable to maintain a regular supply.
The shift to traditional fuel sources has also triggered sharp increases in their prices. A small bundle of firewood containing four pieces now sells for ₦800 to ₦1,000, depending on location.
Similarly, a 50kg bag of wood charcoal costs between ₦13,000 and ₦20,000, while 50kg of briquette charcoal goes for ₦50,000 and above.
The price of kerosene, once regarded as the poor man’s fuel, has also become prohibitive, climbing from ₦80 per litre to about ₦2,000 per litre.
Sawdust Emerges As Cheaper Alternative
With all options costly, many families now turn to sawdust as a relatively cheaper and more accessible solution.
According to Mrs Racheal Durotimi, a herb seller who spoke with the platform, the situation has taken a toll on both household budgets and small-scale businesses.
She said, “I have to go to the sawmill, get two big bags of sawdust which I bought for N500 and put it in a big container which I constructed like a stove.
“That’s what I am using now. How much do I make that I will spend all my profit on charcoal, gas or kerosene.
“Last weekend, I was moving around looking for cooking gas everywhere to no avail.
“The queues in some places were very terrible.
“I bought charcoal. But the charcoal of ₦2,000 got finished within the blink of an eye. I had to finish the cooking using planks.
“It was as if the charcoal had air inside because it was very light.
“The other type that lasts longer is very, very expensive.”
Mr Innocent Ogbei, a bricklayer, said he searched for kerosene when he heard the price of gas had increased and the product was scarce, but was surprised at what he saw.
He said, “All the filling stations in my area don’t have kerosene.
“Some attendants even told me that a litre is now ₦2,000 to ₦2,500 depending on the area.
“I was shocked and tired. Then I remembered the sawdust cooking fuel.
“I called my friend at the saw mill and he sent a bag of sawdust.
“I filled it in a stove-like container, and that is what I will be using to cook till the government sorts this problem out.
“Look at kerosene, since the time of the Late former President Buhari, when subsidy was removed from the product, it became something many Nigerians couldn’t afford.
“Everyone moved from charcoal to cooking gas. Look at the problem they are causing us to live with it.
“It is only God that will help us in this country.
“I pity the food sellers and restaurant owners so much. I wonder how they are coping.”
The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Oladapo Olatunbosun, attributed the surge in cooking gas prices to temporary supply disruptions and market exploitation by some operators, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief a few weeks ago.
Mrs Hawa Monday, a small-scale commercial snack seller, said, “To get cooking gas now is by connection.
“The price from retail sellers is ₦2000 to ₦2,500 per kg. From the filling station, it is ₦1,800 per kg.
“I went to get a bag of sawdust for ₦2,000 to start frying my snacks. It is better than charcoal, which doesn’t last anymore, except you buy the briquettes, which are very expensive.
“How much do I gain from selling snacks to be able to afford such cooking fuel?
“Kerosene is the worst. You cannot even get it and when you see, it is very expensive.
“Sawdust was free to get before, but now, it’s in high demand from dairy farmers, crop farmers, among others.”
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