FCT residents lament fresh hike in cooking gas price

By Salamatu Muhammed, Shamsiyyah Mukhtar Adam, Fatima Babashehu, Blessing Johnson, Fariha Lawal, Miriam Ihezie & Eleazar Nasara

R****esidents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have lamented a fresh increase in cooking gas prices, saying the development is forcing households to cut consumption, adjust budgets and resort to alternative cooking fuels.

Market checks across Abuja showed that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is selling for between N1,380 and N2,000 per kilogramme, depending on location and outlet, after prices had dropped to as low as N1,250 in some areas earlier in September.

The latest increase has reversed some of the relief recorded in July, when improved supply and increased imports reportedly pushed prices down in several parts of the FCT.

For Mrs Rukayyah Muhammed, the increase has already disrupted her household budget.

She said she usually bought a kilogramme of cooking gas for about N1,300 but paid N1,700 at a black-market outlet around Idu Furniture area during at the weekend.

Muhammed said she had to use money set aside for transportation to make up the difference, adding that the rising cost had forced her to consider charcoal as an alternative.

“Now, I have to improvise with a coal stove and use charcoal. Sometimes, that is what I have to do,” she said.

Expressing frustration over the development, she appealed to the government to intervene, saying the rising cost of basic necessities had become unbearable for ordinary households.

“Honestly, I was heartbroken. Please, government should do something about it because the thing is tiring,” she said.

Another resident, Mrs Tunde, said she had noticed a sharp increase in cooking gas prices in recent times.

She said a 12kg cylinder, which previously cost her N16,500 to refill, now cost about N18,750.

Tunde said the increase had affected her household budget, adding that she sometimes resorted to an electric cooker because the gas did not last as long as she expected.

“The gas doesn’t even last for a month. For something that is that expensive, it should be able to serve us much longer,” she said.

She called on the government to make cooking gas more affordable and urged relevant authorities to ensure that weighing metres used by retailers were properly maintained so consumers received the exact quantity they paid for.

Similarly, Mrs Salaudeen said the increase had forced her to adjust her household spending after she had to refill her cylinder earlier than planned.

She said she usually cooked in bulk and stored food in a freezer but had resorted to charcoal for meals such as beans to reduce gas consumption.

“The increase is really affecting me. I can’t cook beans with gas; I have to use charcoal,” she said.

Another resident, Abdulwahab, said the price of cooking gas had risen from between N1,200 and N1,250 to about N1,500 per kilogramme in some locations.

He said he had noticed the increase since the previous week, expressing concern that salaries and purchasing power had not increased in line with the rising cost of basic necessities.

“People’s purchasing power has not increased, and salaries remain the same, while the cost of basic necessities continues to rise. This is very troubling,” he said.

Abdulwahab urged the government to consider measures, including subsidies, to make cooking gas more affordable.

The price fluctuation has also affected retailers, who said the increase had reduced patronage as customers now buy smaller quantities.

A gas operator with E. Adeboluwa International Limited in Life Camp, Mr Andrew, said the price rose from N1,350 to N1,500 per kilogramme.

Andrew said he noticed the increase when he resumed work recently, attributing it partly to transportation costs.

According to him, poor road conditions and rising fuel prices had increased the cost of transporting gas to Abuja.

He said the development had affected sales, as many customers could no longer afford to buy the quantities they previously purchased.

“Many customers now buy smaller quantities. There is no market like before,” he said.

A black-market operator, Muhammed Musa, said he noticed the latest increase about a week ago, adding that he had raised his price from N1,500 to N1,700 per kilogramme after buying from gas stations.

Musa said the increase had led to a decline in patronage, with some customers complaining that the commodity had become too expensive.

He said operators usually added about N200 to cover their costs, while the difference between black-market and gas station prices was generally between N200 and N300 per kilogramme.

Another black-market operator, Usman Haladu, said the price had increased from N1,400 to N1,800 per kilogramme.

Haladu, who said he noticed the increase about four days ago, explained that he was still selling his existing stock at the old price because he had yet to purchase a new supply.

At AA Rano Gas Station in Jabi, the manager, Nuru Sani Adam, said cooking gas was selling for about N1,380 per kilogramme.

Adam described the increase as a concern for consumers who depend on the commodity for their daily cooking needs, calling on the government to provide relief for households.

“We need things to become easier for us. I also use gas for cooking, and we need support because of the difficulties we are facing,” he said.

Small businesses that depend on LPG have also been affected by the rising cost.

Isyaka Mai Shayi, an Indomie and tea seller in Jabi, said he currently bought cooking gas for N1,300 per kilogramme, with 2kg costing him N2,600.

He said when he started the business about three to four years ago, a kilogramme of gas cost about N600.

Mai Shayi said the increase had raised his operating costs, as he relied on LPG to prepare Indomie and tea for customers.

He said some customers had complained about rising prices but continued to patronise his business because they had limited alternatives.

The vendor said he had previously increased the price of his Indomie when gas rose to about N1,100 per kilogramme but was reluctant to raise it again for fear of losing customers.

He called for measures to ease the burden on both consumers and small business owners.

The renewed increase comes barely two months after residents recorded some relief following a drop in LPG prices in parts of Abuja.

In July, market checks showed that the commodity sold for about N1,600 per kilogramme, down from as high as N2,000 in some locations. Outlets in Dutse and Gwarimpa were selling between N1,450 and N1,500, while some retailers in Kubwa, Dawaki, Bwari and Lugbe sold at between N1,650 and N1,700.

Prices reportedly declined further in some areas in early September, with improved supply and increased imports easing pressure on the market.

However, the latest market checks suggest that the relief has not been sustained uniformly, with prices now reaching as high as N2,000 per kilogramme in some parts of the FCT.

At the current price range, refilling a 12.5kg cylinder could cost between N17,250 and N25,000, depending on the outlet.

For households already grappling with high food, transportation and electricity costs, residents said the latest increase had made cooking gas a growing burden on their monthly budgets.

They called on the government and stakeholders in the LPG supply chain to address factors contributing to repeated price fluctuations and ensure more stable supply and affordable prices.