Charcoal Sales Boom in Ebonyi as Cooking Gas Prices Rise

Charcoal sellers in Ebonyi State are seeing more customers as cooking gas prices keep going up. Many families are looking for cheaper ways to cook at home.

A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Wednesday found that charcoal markets are getting busier. Residents are struggling with the rising costs of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and kerosene.

Some sellers told NAN that they have seen a big increase in demand for charcoal recently. This has led to more sales and better profits for them.

They believe this growth is because cooking gas prices are too high for many families to afford.

Josephine Onoh, a charcoal seller at the Abakaliki International Market, shared that a paint bucket of charcoal now costs between N1,500 and N1,600. Smaller amounts in nylon bags go for between N500 and N600.

Judith Nwankpu, a local resident, said she can no longer afford cooking gas and has switched to using charcoal for her cooking.

Mrs Nwankpu mentioned that she last bought cooking gas in May. She is calling on the federal government and the relevant agencies to quickly address the rising prices of cooking energy.

Customers at GMPP Gas Resources Limited along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway expressed worries about the high cost of cooking gas.

Dennis Oyibe, a customer at the gas plant, said he paid N1,800 for one kilogramme of cooking gas. This was much higher than the N1,200 he paid back in April.

“It is not easy. I came to refill my gas cylinder only to discover that the price had increased again. It was shocking, and I could only afford to buy one kilogramme.

“I have no choice but to think about using charcoal or firewood. Even kerosene is becoming pricier than gas.

“Kerosene is now about N1,400 per litre at the NNPC Mega Station. Other filling stations sell it for N2,000 to N2,200 per litre, depending on where you go,” he said.

Ifeyinwa Nwafor noted that cooking gas prices have been rising since May and got worse in June.

“In April, cooking gas was about N1,100 per kilogramme. Now it is between N1,800 and N2,000 per kilogramme.

“It is a worrying situation. Many families have gone back to using charcoal stoves, including my home.

“Many people are also using firewood, even with the environmental issues that come with it.

“A paint bucket of charcoal now costs around N1,500, while smaller bags go for N500 to N700,” she said.

Mrs Nwafor is urging the authorities to take quick action to bring down the prices of cooking gas and other energy products. This will help lighten the load on consumers.