By Akinnodi Francis, Ondo
Residents of Ondo town in Ondo State have welcomed the slight reduction witnessed in the price of cooking gas, urging that the downward trend be sustained to ease the financial burden on households and users.
The residents, who spoke with WEEKEND HOPE in Ondo on Thursday, said a further decline in prices would improve access to clean cooking fuel and reduce pressure on family incomes.
WEEKEND HOPE gathered that cooking gas is currently selling for between N1,450 and N1,650 per kilogramme in Ondo town and its environs, depending on the location and retail outlet, although some roadside vendors still sell it for as much as N1,800 per kilogramme.
The development followed months of price increases across the country, during which Liquefied Petroleum Gas was sold for as high as N2,000 per kilogramme.
The hike pushed the cost of refilling a 5kg cylinder to about N10,000 and a 12.5kg cylinder to about N25,000.
The high prices forced many households to reduce their consumption or resort to alternative cooking fuels such as charcoal and firewood.
A civil servant, Adebayo Joseph, described the price reduction as a welcome development.
He said, “I refilled my cylinder today, Thursday, at N1,450 per kilogramme at a popular outlet in Ondo, compared to a few weeks ago when I paid N1,900 per kilogramme.
“It may not be a huge drop, but it is a relief for families already struggling with the high cost of living. I plead with the government to sustain this decrease.”
Also speaking, a public servant, Olabisola Olaniyi, said the reduction should be sustained to encourage more households to continue using cooking gas.
She said, “Many people switched to charcoal because of the high cost of gas. If prices continue to fall, more families will return to using cooking gas, which is cleaner and safer.”
Daniel Akinwande said lower cooking gas prices would enable families to redirect part of their income to other essential needs, adding, “Every little reduction counts. We hope the government and marketers will ensure prices become more stable and affordable.”
A teacher, Bola Akinbolaji, said the price reduction was commendable but not significant enough, considering the prevailing cost of living in the country.
Akinbolaji averred that Nigerians are still struggling with low purchasing power.
She said, “Our income is not sufficient to meet our daily needs. The cost of transportation, food, healthcare, education and rent has all gone up.
“The government must commit to its Renewed Hope Agenda and ease the sufferings of Nigerians. Making cooking gas very affordable, to as low as N500 per kilogramme, will be a step in the right direction.”
A manager at one of the retail outlets, Dayo Ojo, said prices were expected to decline further in the coming weeks as supply improves.
Ojo stressed that improved product availability will help moderate prices across the retail market.
Meanwhile, experts have attributed the recent surge in LPG prices to geo-political tensions in the Middle-East, high transportation costs and infrastructure gaps within the domestic supply chain.