Economic Hardship Forces Nigerians Back to Firewood as Cooking Gas and Kerosene Prices Rise

By Elizabeth Adebgesan

A severe domestic energy crisis is forcing millions of households across Nigeria to abandon clean energy alternatives and revert to primitive cooking fuels.

The unprecedented surge in the prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, and kerosene has driven many families in both rural and urban areas to return to firewood for cooking.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the cost of refilling a 12.5kg cooking gas cylinder has risen to an average of N22,382.20.

Economy & Lifestyle reports that many households in rural and semi‑urban areas, which had been trying to improve their lifestyle by using cooking gas, have abandoned their gas cylinders because the retail prices for LPG have risen to a disruptive level of N2,000 per kilogram.

In far‑northern states and border communities, a single kilogram of gas is sold for as high as N3,000.

At the same time, household kerosene has effectively become a luxury item.

According to the latest NBS Household Kerosene Price Watch, the average retail price of kerosene has approached a staggering N4,000 per litre in states such as Sokoto, Kebbi, and Lagos.

This represents an astronomical leap from the N50 to N100 per litre rates recorded before the full removal of subsidies.

The realities of kitchen downsizing

The rapid financial squeeze has forced a sharp shift in consumer behaviour.

Mrs. Funmilayo Momoh, a fufu (half‑baked cassava flour) seller, expressed her deep frustration over the current economic realities.

“Refilling my gas cylinder used to be a routine household chore, but at N2,000 per kilogram, it is completely unsustainable. Meals that require a long time to cook, like beans or local delicacies, are disappearing from our kitchen. We now rely on a makeshift firewood stove outside just to boil water and make basic food.”

Even small micro‑enterprises are feeling the heat.

Roadside food vendors, locally known as Mama Put, who long relied on the speed and cleanliness of LPG, are moving their operations back to woodpiles to protect their razor‑thin profit margins.

Mr. Felix Asuquo, a food seller, said: “I can hardly cook with gas now. How much do I make from the food I sell? Before, I spent N10,000 on cooking gas for two weeks but now such an amount hardly serves me for three days. This is a complete tragedy. We are supposed to be moving forward as a country, but instead, we are going back to the 1960s. How can a country with so much natural gas watch its citizens cook with firewood? The smoke is killing people slowly, and our forests are disappearing. The government needs to step in and fix the exchange rate or subsidise gas locally.”

On her part, Mrs. Rukayat Saliu, a cleaner, said: “At N2,000 per kg, who can blame anyone for using firewood? My monthly salary cannot even refill a 12.5kg cylinder twice anymore. If you add the cost of food items which are also out of reach, you will see that Nigerians are just surviving by a miracle. May God help us in this country. I use firewood and even the firewood is now expensive. Four pieces of firewood is N1,000 but it is fairer compared to the price of cooking gas.”

Marketers attribute the persistent price hikes to structural gaps within the energy value chain. Despite Nigeria possessing Africa’s largest natural gas reserves, a lack of local processing infrastructure forces the country to import a large percentage of its domestic LPG supply. This exposes local retail markets to international price shocks, high vessel charter costs, and foreign exchange volatility. Wholesale terminal prices have climbed dramatically, with marketers now paying up to N26.2 million for a single 20‑metric‑tonne truck of gas.

With this trend, millions of citizens returning to biomass fuels threatens to reverse decades of progress in clean cooking initiatives.

Increased logging to satisfy the rising urban demand for firewood accelerates deforestation, drives soil erosion, and destroys natural wildlife habitats. Continuous exposure to thick firewood smoke will trigger a sharp rise in chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, and optical complications among women and children.

The post Economic hardship: Nigerians revert to firewood as cooking gas, kerosene prices surge  appeared first on Vanguard News.