News

High price of cooking gas taking toll on us, several South-West residents lament

Published

3 years ago

October 2, 2023

Cooking gas

High price of cooking gas taking toll on us, several South-West residents lament

SEVERAL residents of some states in the South-West zone of the country are lamenting the astronomical increase in the price of cooking gas, saying it is severely affecting them.

The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews that unless government intervened urgently, the situation may force them to discard using gas to cook.

They said they may have no other choice than a return to using charcoal, firewood and sawdust, among other archaic means of cooking.

NAN reports that 12.5 kilogramme (kg) of gas now sells for between N10,000 and N10,625 as against the N8,700 it was being sold before in some parts of the zone.

A 6 kg equivalent goes for between N4,800 and N5,100 instead of N4,176.

The residents, who expressed shock with the cooking gas situation, said that they never prepared for such an astronomical increase.

They lamented that this has come particularly with the increase in the price of petrol, with its attendant negative effects.

The residents appealed to government to, as a matter of urgency, step up measures to address the situation in order to reduce the sufferings of Nigerians.

A housewife, Mrs Eunice Alabi, a resident of Ayegun-Fasade in Egbeda Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State, said the situation is not economically wise for her.

“A low income-earner like me cannot afford to buy a kilogramme of cooking gas at a cost of N850. That is the situation we are in now,” she said.

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Alabi said she had already returned to the use of a sawdust stove at little or no cost to her, aside getting sawdust from a nearby sawmill.

Mr Michael Tubosun, a commercial motorcycle operator at Iwo-Road in Ibadan North-East LGA, contended that using gas to cook now had become the exclusive right of the rich.

He said he had bought a charcoal pot for his wife to cook.

Also speaking with NAN, a roadside beans and yam vendor at Oluwo junction in Egbeda LGA, Mrs Jelilat Yusuf, said she had embraced the use of firewood for cooking.

“I thought I was becoming modern by using gas, but now I can not afford gas again,” she said.

According to Yusuf, firewood is cheaper and makes her to make more profit than using gas.

Although she expressed concern about the smoke from firewood, which, she said might not be good for her health, Yusuf however said she had no choice.

“Since gas has gone out of my reach, I have no choice.”

She implored government to intensify efforts toward bringing down the price of cooking gas and foodstuffs.

An environmentalist, Mr Bola Ogunrinde, however, said using the alternatives to gas could be dangerous to health.

“Dioxin, one of the substances released when plastic is used and inhaled, can instantly cause coughing, shortness of breath and dizziness,” he stated.

A gas retailer, Mr Zacheaus Akinlabi, also said he had witnessed a marked reduction in the number of customers patronising him due to the sudden increase in gas price.

“Since the hike in price of gas, some of my customers have stopped patronising me, while the few that come around only buy the fewN kilogrames they can afford,” Akinlabi said.

A food vendor, Mrs Funmi Durodola, said that she had shifted from using gas to charcoal.

Although Durodola said that a bag of charcoal had also increased from N3,500 to between N4,700 and N5000, nevertheless she said it was still more economical than gas.

Mrs Tolu Adejo, a mother of three, said: “When gas was between

N700 and N750 per kg, my husband usually refilled for us, while we support our cooking with firewood, especially when we wanted to cook beans.

“To make matters worse, kerosene is also beyond our reach and so we now use firewood, alongside plastic and nylon to do our cooking, because we just have to survive,” Adejo said.

The situation is the same in Ilorin in Kwara, as most residents have resorted to use of charcoal and firewood due to the hike in the price of gas.

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Mrs Munirat Bello, a teacher at a private school in Ilorin, said she had embraced the use of charcoal to complement the little gas she could afford.

A housewife, who also plaits hair for a living, who simply identified herself as Mama Bashira, also said that the situation had gone bad for her.

She said she had to resort to the use of charcoal.

“A bag of charcoal sells for as low as N1,500 if a person can get it straight from the farm and if well-managed, it can last for a month or even more,” Mama Bashira said.

Similarly, Hajia Lateefah Yusuf, a business woman, expressed surprise with the sudden increase in gas price, in spite of what she called the rhetoric of abundance of gas in the country.

A civil servant with Kwara Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Abosede Buraimoh, described the situation as very worrisome and unbearable, calling for urgent intervention by government.

An artisan, Mrs Titilayo Oshagbemi, said she had stopped patronising gas stations due to the hike in the price of the product.

“I prefer to buy a bag of charcoal at the rate of between N3,000 to

N3,300, than to buy 5 kg gas at the rate of N4,750 or N5,400, while the charcoal will last longer than gas,” she said.

For Alhaja Tawal Aliyu, an artisan, the price of gas has become ‘scary’.

“How can I buy 1 kg of gas for N850 with the current economic hardship? No. I will rather get firewood to cook,” Aliyu lamented.

A resident of Ilorin, Mrs Afusat Jimoh, described the situation as frustrating, saying most people had dumped their gas cylinders and picked charcoal stoves.

“I’ve told my children to go and keep our cylinder somewhere in the

store. I am conveniently using my charcoal stove now. It saves me more money,” she said.

Mrs Toyin Aina, who said that many people had resorted to the use of kerosene stoves and charcoal stoves, called on the Federal Government to “act fast.

“This is because things are now very hard and tough in Nigeria.”

One of the attendants at a gas station, Mr Mubarak Bello, said patronage had dropped since the gas price had increased.

The Founder of Green Environment Movement, an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mr James Akinyemi, however said that using nylons and plastic to aid burning of charcoal could result in cancer.

According to him, burning plastics releases toxic chemicals into the air which, when inhaled, can cause cancer.

”Poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals commonly released into the air when burning plastics.

”Chronic exposure to these chemicals can interfere with hormone functions and cause cancer.

“So, it is better to avoid burning of plastics and nylons as much as possible,” he said.

Akinyemi noted that the economy was not friendly with the recent increase in price of gas.

He however cautioned people against using items that could have negative effect on their health.

NAN checks in Ogun also indicate that 12.5 kg of gas now sells for between N11,200 and N12,800 in some gas stations across the state.

NAN also reports that the situation has led to an increase in prices of foodstuffs as well as reduction in the quantity served for certain

prices at various restaurants and food joints.

Mrs Florence Akpan, a food vendor at Adeoyo area of Ijebu-Ode, said that sales had dropped significantly due to increase in gas price.

“Customers now complain about the reduction in the quantity of food being sold to them.

“I now cook small quantity of food because sales have really gone down and there is nothing I can do because I have to cover my cost and add small profit margin too.

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“Times are really hard for both buyers and sellers now. It is a serious matter,” she said.

Another food vendor at Oke-Ilewo area of Abeokuta, Mrs Dorcas Sobowale, told NAN that for her to continue in business, she had resorted to using charcoal.

“While a bag of charcoal costs N5,000, 12.5 kg of gas now sells for N12,800.

“Although cooking with gas is more convenient and faster, I have to make the necessary sacrifice and adjust to using charcoal and firewood to survive in business.”

A gas retailer, Kabiru Adegoke, said the price of cooking gas was not stable, “as it goes up and down in a matter of days.

“Patronage has really been affected due to the high cost of gas per kg, which is now N840 from the N700 we sold it two weeks before now.

“Hardly do we now see people filling up their 12.5 kg cylinder again.

Rather, they fill in small quantities like 2kg and 3kg,” Adegoke said.

Mrs Fauziyah Adebiyi, another resident of Abeokuta, lamented that life had been really difficult since the sudden increase in the price of gas.

She said what would have been the next and easy alternative was kerosene stove, “but sadly enough, kerosene itself is a no-go area now.

“The last time I needed half a bottle just to mix an insecticide, I

was told it was N400, meaning that a bottle is N800. How does one buy that easily with the hardship in the land?” Adebiyi queried.

For Mr John Akpan, a landlord in Mowe area of Obafemi-Owode LGA of Ogun, he has had to unfortunately ban the use of charcoal in his house.

Akpan said his tenants had resorted to the use of charcoal in

the wake of gas price increase.

He said the kitchen and other areas within his two-storey building had become messy, with the walls stained with coal.

“I know times are hard, but if the situation continues unchecked, I

will have to spend money on painting the house from time to time,” Akpan said.

In her reaction, another gas user, Mrs Taiwo Akande, said she had been switching between electric stove and gas cooker for her cooking.

“We are still using the old metering system in my compound. So, I use electric burner for most of my cooking whenever there is power.

“I may have to resort to charcoal when our prepaid meter is installed and the situation persists,” she said.

Mr Johnson Adigun, an urban and regional planner, listed alternative means of cooking to include: kerosene, charcoal, saw dust and firewood, all of which he, however, said had “far-reaching” consequences.

According to him, firewood often pollutes the environment and worsens the climate change crisis, aside the health implications like lung cancer which can lead to premature death.

To Mr Kayode Ahmed, an environmentalist, one of the possible consequences of using firewood and charcoal for cooking is deforestation.

Ahmed said such situation could arise when trees were not planted to replace those being cut for firewood.

Another environmentalist, Mr Ola Oresanya, maintained that the use of bio-gas and solar stove as alternative sources of cooking might not be detrimental to the environment.

“Bio-gas is the most environmental-friendly, and also a renewable source of energy.

“Using solar to cook is also reasonable and not having any adverse effect on the environment,” he said.

High price of cooking gas taking toll on us, several South-West residents lament

(NAN)

News

Yamal Fires Back at Mbappé: “I’m Not Going to Beg” for Ballon d’Or

Published

19 hours ago

September 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal

Yamal Fires Back at Mbappé: “I’m Not Going to Beg” for Ballon d’Or

The 19-year-old Spain international insists his World Cup and La Liga triumphs speak for themselves, while also being named one of Barcelona’s vice-captains ahead of the October 26 ceremony.

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has made it clear that he will not campaign or “beg” for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, stating that his achievements on the pitch for club and country should speak for themselves. Speaking ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League opener against Feyenoord, the 19-year-old responded to comments from rival Kylian Mbappé, who had previously made his case for the award by highlighting his World Cup Golden Boot win, which also saw him become the competition’s all-time top goalscorer.

“I don’t think I need to campaign for the Ballon d’Or. I’m not thinking about what I deserve, everyone can think what they like,” Yamal told reporters. “I’m proud of everything I’ve done this year with my club and with the national team. We’ve become world champions, we’ve won the league again. I can’t ask for anything more. I think I’ve shown an incredible level, it’s your job and I will not beg for anything.”

The Spanish international, who finished second in last year’s voting behind PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé, is among the leading contenders for the prize alongside Mbappé, Harry Kane, Dembélé, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London. Yamal was officially named among the 30 nominees for the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or when France Football unveiled the list on Tuesday, marking his third nomination.

When asked about Dembélé’s recent comments naming Kvaratskhelia, Kane, and Mbappé as his top three, Yamal joked: “He’s a friend of Kylian, right? Honestly, I don’t care. I’m very happy with the year I had. Whenever I’ve faced both of them, I’ve won. They must have taken a dislike to me for some reason.” Spain knocked France out of the World Cup semi-finals with a convincing 2-0 victory.

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Yamal, who suffered a hamstring injury in April, has returned to form with two goals in his last two outings against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia, and appeared far more cheerful after a difficult start to the season. “In the end, I’m 19, coming off winning a World Cup, having had the best holidays of my life. I’ve never been happier at any point in my life than I am now,” he said.

Beyond individual honours, Yamal emphasised that Barcelona’s primary target this season is the Champions League trophy, a title that has eluded the Catalan giants since 2015. “There’s no greater motivation than the Champions League, which is the one I still have to win. We will give our all to win it,” Yamal said ahead of Wednesday’s opener against Feyenoord. “Good players have arrived, like Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri.”

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised the young star, saying: “Lamine is a player who can decide games on his own, fantastic quality. It’s great, you can see it every day how he is enjoying playing football. For me the best thing is that he enjoys this game and then he’s on a top level.”

Yamal is also the favourite to win a third consecutive best young player award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, having been one of 10 players nominated on Tuesday, including Johan Manzambi, Yan Diomande, and Ayyoub Bouaddi, who all impressed at the World Cup and were then the subject of big-money summer transfers.

Interestingly, during the press conference, neither Yamal nor Flick mentioned Feyenoord by name, instead focusing entirely on Barcelona’s mission to win the Champions League. Yamal was recently elected one of three vice-captains by his teammates, alongside Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong, with coach Hansi Flick selecting Raphinha and Pedri as the other members of the five-man captaincy group. “It’s something to be proud of at 19 years old. I’m very grateful to my teammates. It’s a position that comes with responsibilities, even if I’m only 19, but I’m very happy,” he said.

Yamal Fires Back at Mbappé: “I’m Not Going to Beg” for Ballon d’Or

News

Lagos Moves to Slash Agency Fees, Curb Rent Hikes With New Tenancy Bill

Published

21 hours ago

September 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Lagos Moves to Slash Agency Fees, Curb Rent Hikes With New Tenancy Bill

The Lagos State Government has unveiled a proposed tenancy law aimed at overhauling the relationship between landlords, tenants and estate agents, with measures designed to curb arbitrary rent increases, excessive agency charges, fraudulent property transactions and prolonged tenancy disputes.

The proposed Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill, 2025, currently before the Lagos State House of Assembly, seeks to replace the existing tenancy framework with a more comprehensive regime covering rent payments, advance rent, agency fees, eviction, dispute resolution and the conduct of landlords and property agents.

The bill, however, has not yet become law and remains subject to legislative consideration and possible amendments.

One of the most significant provisions in the proposed legislation is the plan to reduce estate agency fees to five per cent of annual rent.

The proposal has attracted considerable attention because tenants in Lagos routinely complain about the financial burden of agency, agreement and other charges demanded when securing accommodation.

The Lagos State House of Assembly had previously stated during deliberations on the bill that the agency commission would be reduced from the existing 10 per cent benchmark to five per cent. An agent who charges above the prescribed rate under the proposed law could face sanctions, including refund of the excess, a fine of up to N1 million or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

The bill also proposes compulsory registration of estate agents with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority, LASRERA.

Under the proposal, operating as an estate agent without the required registration would become an offence. The government says the measure is intended to check the activities of fraudulent and unregistered operators accused of collecting money from unsuspecting members of the public, engaging in multiple transactions on the same property and imposing questionable charges on prospective tenants.

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The proposed legislation further requires agents handling rent or other funds on behalf of property owners to account for such money and remit it within a stipulated period. Legal reviews of the draft bill put the remittance period at seven working days and require agents to issue receipts for transactions.

One-year limit on advance rent

Another major proposal is the restriction on advance rent.

The draft legislation seeks to prevent landlords from demanding excessive periods of rent upfront. Under the proposed framework, a new tenant would generally not be required to pay more than one year’s rent in advance, while sitting tenants who ordinarily pay monthly would not be compelled to make excessive advance payments.

The measure is expected to address one of the biggest challenges facing accommodation seekers in Lagos, where prospective tenants often complain of demands for one, two or even more years’ rent before they are allowed to occupy a property.

Landlords may face scrutiny over rent increases

The proposed law also seeks to tackle what it describes as unreasonable increases in rent.

Under the bill, a tenant who considers a rent increase excessive could challenge it, with the court empowered to consider factors including rents charged for comparable properties and evidence presented by both the landlord and tenant.

The proposal is significant in a city where rapid increases in rental values have become a major concern for residents, particularly low- and middle-income earners.

The bill also provides protection for tenants who challenge an allegedly unreasonable increase, including restrictions on eviction while the matter is before the court.

Faster resolution of landlord-tenant disputes

Perhaps one of the most ambitious aspects of the proposed legislation is its attempt to speed up tenancy-related litigation.

The bill provides for tenancy proceedings through originating summons and proposes mechanisms designed to shorten the time between filing a case and hearing it.

It also empowers courts to sit on weekends and public holidays for tenancy matters and provides for virtual hearings.

The proposed framework further provides for mediation as an alternative to prolonged litigation, with the aim of resolving disputes more quickly and reducing the backlog of landlord-tenant cases.

The government has argued that faster dispute resolution would benefit both landlords and tenants by reducing the cost and uncertainty associated with lengthy court proceedings.

Tenants to provide evidence

The Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said tenants seeking legal action would be required to provide evidence including proof of rent payments and updated utility bills.

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According to the government, the requirement is intended to ensure that tenancy disputes are supported by verifiable documentation rather than mere allegations.

Protection against self-help eviction

The proposed framework also strengthens legal protection against arbitrary eviction and other forms of self-help.

The draft bill provides for lawful procedures that landlords must follow when seeking possession of their properties. It seeks to discourage practices such as forcibly ejecting tenants, interfering with access to premises or taking other unilateral measures without following due process.

It also contains provisions relating to abandoned premises, recovery of possession and enforcement of court orders.

Service charges, deposits and professional fees

The bill goes beyond rent and agency commissions to address other financial issues associated with tenancy.

Among the proposed provisions are rules concerning service charges, facility and security deposits, as well as professional fees.

The draft framework seeks greater transparency in the handling of tenants’ money and provides for accountability concerning service charges and refundable deposits. Legal reviews of the bill indicate that security deposits would generally be refundable, subject to documented deductions for damage or other legitimate claims.

LASRERA intensifies enforcement

The proposed reforms come against the backdrop of increased enforcement by LASRERA against fraudulent operators in Lagos’ property market.

The Commissioner for Housing disclosed that the regulatory agency recovered more than N270 million from fraudulent estate agents between 2025 and 2026.

The government says the enforcement campaign, combined with the proposed legislation, is intended to restore confidence in the state’s real estate sector and protect residents from exploitation.

Stakeholders raise concerns

While the proposed reduction in agency fees has been welcomed by tenant advocates, housing stakeholders have also raised concerns about possible loopholes.

Spaces for Change, which participated in the 2025 public hearing on the bill, warned that agents could attempt to circumvent a five per cent cap by introducing additional charges under different descriptions.

The organisation recommended that the prescribed five per cent ceiling should cover other related charges in order to prevent agents from simply shifting costs from “agency fee” to documentation, inspection or other charges.

There have also been calls for the bill to provide clearer safeguards around the collection, storage and use of tenants’ personal information, given the large amount of sensitive data prospective tenants routinely submit to landlords and estate agents.

Bill still awaiting passage

Despite the publicity surrounding the proposed reforms, tenants and landlords have been urged not to assume that the new provisions are already enforceable.

The Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill remains a proposal before the Lagos State House of Assembly. Until it is passed by the Assembly and receives the necessary assent, the existing tenancy law remains the applicable legal framework.

If eventually enacted, however, the proposed law could represent one of the most far-reaching changes to landlord-tenant relations in Lagos in years, particularly through its proposed five per cent agency-fee cap, restrictions on advance rent, compulsory registration of agents, stronger protections against arbitrary rent increases and faster mechanisms for resolving tenancy disputes.

For millions of Lagos residents struggling with rising accommodation costs, the central question will now be whether the proposed reforms can move from the pages of the bill to effective enforcement across the state’s notoriously expensive and complex rental market.