Article summary
- Nigerians are paying double the cost for Kerosene in March 2023 compared to March 2022, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
- The states with the highest average prices per litre of Kerosene were Adamawa, Abuja, and Bauchi, while the states with the lowest prices were Jigawa, Kaduna, and Edo.
- Some poor households in Nigeria, especially in communities around major cities, rely on Kerosene stoves for cooking, and the increase in Kerosene prices has made it difficult for them to afford cooking gas due to their meagre salaries.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown that Nigerians who make use of Kerosene now paying double the cost they paid for the commodity in 2022.
According to the National Household Kerosene Price Watch report by the NBS, Nigerians paid an average of N1,142.46 per litre of Kerosene in March 2023, which is a 102.37% rise from the N564.55 per litre they used to pay in March 2022.
Meanwhile, they also paid an average of N4,105.25 per gallon of Kerosene in March 2023, which is a 104.07% rise from the N2,011.70 per gallon they used to pay in March 2022.
Prices per litre
According to the NBS report, the states with the highest average prices per litre of Kerosene were Adamawa at N1,595.24, Abuja at N1,368.52 and Bauchi at N1,314.58. Meanwhile, the states with the lowest Kerosene prices per litre were; Jigawa at N916.67, Kaduna at N955 and Edo at N957.14.
Also, the report highlighted the following prices per litre of Kerosene across all the zones in the country as follows; North Central recorded N1,105.17, Northwest recorded N981.47, Northeast recorded N1,256.59, Southeast recorded N1,248.68, Southwest recorded N1,197.56, and South-South recorded N1,116.05.
Prices per gallon
According to the NBS report, the states with the highest average prices per gallon of Kerosene were; Lagos at N5,670.13, Borno at N4,800, and Zamfara at N4,750. Meanwhile, the states with the lowest Kerosene prices per gallon were Delta at N2,367.86, Rivers at N2,811.36, and Cross River at N3,268.57.
Also, the report highlighted the following prices per gallon of Kerosene across all the zones in the country as follows; North Central recorded N4,025.71, Northwest recorded N4,490.78, Northeast recorded N4,512.25, Southeast recorded N4,256.77, Southwest recorded N4,151.74, and South-South recorded N3,168.51.
The poor household and Kerosene stove context
Some poor households in communities around major cities like Abuja and Lagos make use of Kerosene stoves for cooking, especially now that the country is in its rainy season. Nairametrics spoke to Mr Haruna Abdullahi, a young Nigerian, who lives in the Kuruduma community located behind the lush Asokoro district in the Federal Capital, Abuja.
Haruna happens to make use of a Kerosene stove in his single-room apartment. According to him, he lives on an N40,000 salary per month as a security guard and he buys a gallon of Kerosene to cook every month. Haruna lamented the consistent increase in the price of kerosene and told Nairametrics that he cannot afford to buy and sustain cooking gas due to his meagre salary.
He said he manages the Kerosene to ensure it lasts for the entire month. To do this, he must sacrifice not cooking beans which drains his Kerosene, instead, he cooks other simple foods and attends a lot of neighbourhood events just to eat sometimes. He also looks forward to receiving some tips from customers who shop at the mall where he works, which he adds to his earnings, to make ends meet.
What you should know
Nigeria still lacks local crude oil refining capacity. So, factors like global supply chain issues as well as local distribution challenges, could further drive-up costs for end consumers.
