“Cooking Gas Don Cost, Sawdust Don Turn Alternative”

Plenty Nigerian families don dey go back to old-school cooking style like charcoal and sawdust as cooking gas don turn gold for market. Di price of gas don high scatter, now e dey between ₦1,600 and ₦2,000 per kilogram, and even at dat, many gas stations no even get enough to sell. Economy & Lifestyle tori show say families wey no fit afford gas don rush go back to sawdust stove wey dem abandon since. Firewood too don follow cost, small bundle of four pieces now dey go for ₦800 to ₦1,000 depending on area, while 50kg bag of charcoal don climb to ₦13,000–₦20,000. Briquette charcoal sef na from ₦50,000 up. Kerosene no dey smile too, from ₦80 before, e don reach ₦2,000 per litre. Inside all dis wahala, na sawdust don come rescue many homes.

One herb seller, Mrs Racheal Durotimi, talk say di matter don affect her business well well. She yarn say she dey go sawmill buy two big bags of sawdust for ₦500 use am cook because she no fit waste her small profit buy gas, charcoal or kerosene. She complain say charcoal of ₦2,000 no even last, e be like air dey inside am. Another person, Mr Innocent Ogbei, bricklayer, say when gas price rise and kerosene vanish, he remember sawdust method. E buy bag from sawmill and use am cook since. According to am, all filling stations no get kerosene and di few wey get dey sell ₦2,000–₦2,500 per litre. He blame government and say only God fit help poor man for di country. Di National President of Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Oladapo Olatunbosun, talk say na temporary supply wahala and market exploitation dey cause di high gas price. For her own side, Mrs Hawa Monday, snack seller, say to get gas now na by connection. Retail sellers dey sell ₦2,000–₦2,500 per kg while filling stations dey sell ₦1,800 per kg. She don switch to sawdust wey she buy ₦2,000, say e better pass charcoal wey no dey last and briquette wey too cost. She talk say kerosene don turn luxury item and sawdust wey be free before don now become hot cake among farmers and traders.