Charcoal business booms in Ondo as kerosene, cooking gas price hike lingers

Residents of Okitipupa in Ondo State have continued to patronise charcoal sellers as substitute for their daily domestic cooking, as the high cost of kerosene and cooking gas lingered on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that kerosene, formerly sold for N300 per litre, has gone up to between N400 and N450, while a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas, formerly at N3,500, has skyrocketed to between N4,500 and N5,000.
NAN also reports that a full sack of charcoal, lasting one and half months depending on the usage, has also increased from N1,500 to between N2,500 and N3,000.
Some of the charcoal sellers who spoke with NAN in separate interviews in the area said that the high cost of kerosene and cooking gas had turned to be blessing in disguise for their business.
They said that many customers pow patronised them and charcoal gained popularity.
Bonike Usman, a charcoal seller, who said roasted yam and plantain sellers patronised her, told NAN that she now records high sale.
Usman said: “I think the high cost of kerosene and gas is a blessing in disguise as I now sell about five bags per day, the same measure I sold in a week before.”
Wulemotu Akande, another charcoal seller, also said she made lots of gain in the past two weeks as many people now trooped to her shop to purchase charcoal in different quantities.
Akande said: “Food vendors are not left out in the rush for charcoal because they can no longer afford the prices of gas.”
Another charcoal seller, Wunmi Ashade said that high costs of kerosene and gas had suddenly given charcoal a sudden prominence adding that charcoal sellers now made brisk business and on high patronage.
Ashade said: “I knew people will rush to buy charcoal because it has happened many times, so I bought huge stock in December, so I am making more profit now.”
Oluyemi Adegbemi, a food vendor, who also told NAN that charcoal was the best for cooking, said it burns blue flame like gas, urged the people to imbibe the culture of using it for their cooking.
Adegbemi said: “Charcoal burns blue flame like gas and it is better compared to fire wood which burns red flame and make pots to be black and dirty.”
Adefemi Ikumawoyi, a customer, said he had to buy a bag of charcoal for his wife because he could no longer afford the high cost of kerosene.
Ikumawoyi appealed to the Federal Government to take drastic step in ensuring the availability of kerosene and cooking gas in order to make life more meaningful for the masses.