Kerosene, the fuel for cooking in poor households, doubled in price in March versus 12 months prior, with Adamawa, Abuja, and Bauchi selling at the highest rate and Jigawa, Kaduna, and Edo in the bottom rung of the price ladder.

Zonal price variations

The report listed the average price per litre across the six zones as follows:

North Central – N1,105.17
Northwest – N981.47
Northeast – N1,256.59
South East – N1,248.68
South West – N1,197.56
South South – N1,116.05

The NBS said states with the highest average prices per gallon of kerosene are Lagos at N5,670.13, Borno at N4,800, and Zamfara at N4,750.

States with the lowest prices per gallon are Delta at N2,367.86, Rivers at N2,811.36, and Cross River at N3,268.57.

The zonal average prices per gallon are North Central (N4,025.71), North West (N4,490.78), North East (N4,512.25), South East (N4,256.77), South West (N4,151.74), and South South (N3,168.51).

Poor households in communities around major cities like Abuja and Lagos use kerosene stoves for cooking, especially now in the rainy season.

Nairametrics spoke to Haruna Abdullahi, a young man who lives in Kuruduma community behind the lush Asokoro District in the Federal Capital (FCT), Abuja.

He said he buys a gallon of kerosene every month to cook with stove in his single-room apartment, funded from his salary of N40,000 per month as a security guard.

Abudullahi lamented the consistent increase in the price of kerosene, saying he cannot afford to buy cooking gas because of his meagre salary.

He said he ensures the gallon of kerosene lasts an entire month by avoiding cooking beans, which drains fuel, opting for simple foods, and attending a lot of neighbourhood events to eat food.

TheNiche