Date: 2021-07-20

Many women in Ilorin, Kwara State have resorted to the use of stoves for cooking as a result of the hike in the price of gas. Some housewives interviewed by LEADERSHIP in Ilorin metropolis lamented the sudden rise in the price of cooking gas. They said the development has worsened the economy of many households.

A housewife, Taibat Kadir, said that a 12.5kg cylinder she used to refill with N4,000 now goes for N5,000 while a 6.5kg cylinder is now refilled with N3,000 as against the previous price of N2,000. " I'm surprised over this astronomical increase in the price of gas," Kadir lamented.

She urged the federal government to intervene since the hike in the cost of gas has been traced to high foreign exchange rate. She said many housewives have resorted to the use of kerosene stove for domestic cooking.

A restaurant operator, Alhaja Sikirat Bolaji, said that the hike in the price of gas has affected her business as she now spends more money on the commodity. Another respondent, Alhaja Omowumi Ishola, also lamented the hike in the price of gas, urging the government to intervene in the interest of the masses.

A cooking gas dealer, Okafor Nwachukwu blamed the situation on the failure of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to create a dedicated window for foreign exchange for the importation of cooking gas.

He said, "Importers of cooking gas source foreign exchange at high prices and this in turn affects the price of the product. The cost of importation dictates the price the commodity gets to the consumers but no importer runs a charitable organisation."