19.4% of Nigerian households using cooking gas – NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that only 19.4% of households in Nigeria use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for domestic, agricultural, commercial, cultural, or religious purposes.

This finding was disclosed in the 2024 Nigeria Residential Energy Demand-Side Survey (NREDSS), released on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to the report, the survey covered states from across the six geopolitical zones, including Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Ekiti, Oyo, Enugu, Kwara, Plateau, Kano, and Sokoto.

It stated, “This means that about one in every five households use LPG. The average monthly expenditure on LPG stood at N10,239.7 across the surveyed states.” 

The report indicated that approximately 67.8% of Nigerian households rely on fuelwood as a source of energy.

It found that 41% of households purchase fuelwood, while 39% obtain it through cutting or collecting.

Additionally, 18.9% of households acquire fuelwood through other means, such as barter, gifts, or borrowing. The report noted that 55.3% of the fuelwood collected consisted of branches, stems, and trees.

It also revealed that one in five households, accounting for 22%, used charcoal during the reference period.

Among these households, 21.6% purchased charcoal, while 0.3% produced it themselves, and 0.6% obtained it through other means.

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The report revealed that over 58% of households across the nine surveyed states are connected to the national grid, with 86.6% having electricity during the reference period.

It found that 85.2% of connected households use an estimated billing system, while 14.8% reported using a pre-paid system.

The average monthly household expenditure on electricity was estimated at N4,155.8 during the same period.

The NBS recommended that, given the widespread use of fuelwood, the government should promote tree replanting initiatives and encourage the adoption of clean energy sources such as LPG, wind, and solar power.

This, it suggested, would help mitigate environmental issues like air and water pollution, climate change, thermal pollution, and waste disposal.

Additionally, the report advised the government to facilitate the establishment of more LPG stations and promote local production of gas cylinders and related accessories to enhance value.

Findings from the report come as a shock to many Nigerians given the prevalence of the use of cooking gas among many households, especially in urban centres.

The result reemphasizes the high multidimensional poverty in Nigeria and how cost and access inhibit households at the lowest economic strata.

In the past two years, the price of cooking gas has skyrocketed from around N600 per kg to almost N1,500 per kg.

Earlier this year, the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas) announced that the federal government would be halting the exports of LPG in a bid to control prices locally.

19.4% of Nigerian households using cooking gas – NBS

Food inflation persists as prices of bread, others increase – NBS report

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that prices of essential food items, including beans, eggs, bread, rice, and tomatoes, experienced significant increases in September 2024.

The NBS said this in its Selected Food Prices Watch report for September 2024 released in Abuja on Wednesday.

The report said that the average price of 1kg of brown beans increased by 281.97 per cent from N716.97 recorded in September 2023 to N2,738.59 in September 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg of brown beans increased by 6.37 per cent in September from the N2,574.63 recorded in August 2024.”

It said that the average price of medium-sized agric eggs (12 pieces) increased by 137.43 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N1,047.47 recorded in September 2023 to N2,487.04 in September 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, the eggs increased by 8.46 per cent from the N2,289.19 recorded in August 2024.”

The report said that the average price of sliced bread increased by 115.74 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N708.36 in September 2023 to N1,528.19 in September 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 4.68 per cent from the N1,459.85 recorded in August 2024.”

In addition, the average price of 1kg of local rice rose by 152.92 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N757.06 in September 2023 to N1,914.77 in September 2024.

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“On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 4.57 per cent from N1,831.05 recorded in August 2024.”

Also, the report said that the average price of 1kg of boneless beef increased by 99.99 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N2,816.91 in September 2023 to N5,633.60 in September 2024.

“However, on a month-on-month basis, the price decreased by 1.44 per cent from the N5,553.80 recorded in August 2024.”

The NBS said the average price of 1kg of tomato also increased on a year-on-year basis by 152.94 per cent from N 565.69 recorded in September 2023 to N1,430.87 in September 2024.

“However, on a month-on-month basis, the average price of 1kg of tomato declined by 5.01 per cent from N1,506.35 in August 2024 to N1,430.87 in September 2024.”

In addition, the average price of 1kg of local rice rose by 152.92 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N757.06 in September 2023 to N1,914.77 in September 2024.

On state profile analysis, the report showed that in September 2024, the highest average price of 1kg of brown beans was recorded in Bauchi at N3,450.04, while the lowest was recorded in Adamawa at N 1,800.

It said that Niger recorded the highest average price of medium size agric eggs (12 pieces) at N3,000.84, while the lowest was in Borno at N2,075.58.

The NBS said that the highest average price of sliced bread was recorded in Rivers at N1,852, while the lowest price was recorded in Yobe at N982.79.

According to the report, Kogi recorded the highest average price of 1kg local rice (sold loose) at N2,688.04, while the lowest was reported in Benue at N1,229.14.

The report said the highest price of 1kg of tomato was recorded in Abuja at N2,212.61, while the lowest price was recorded in Kano at N656.21.

Analysis by zone showed that the average price of 1kg of brown beans was highest in the South-South at N3,241.46, followed by the North-Central at N2,935.96.

“The lowest price was recorded in the North-West at N2,316.42.”

The North-Central and North-East recorded the highest average price of medium-sized agricultural eggs (12 pieces) at N2,833.42 and N2,501.79, respectively, while the lowest price was in the North-West at N2,249.65.

The report said that the South-South recorded the highest average price of sliced bread at N1,812.08, followed by the South-East at N1,655.80, while the North-East recorded the lowest price at N1,351.92.

The NBS said also that the North-East and the South-East recorded the highest average price of 1kg of local rice (sold loose) at N2,031.96 and N2,015.92, respectively.

“The North-West recorded the lowest price of 1kg of local rice (sold loose) at N1,714.31.”

In July, the federal government, in a bid to address the incessant increase in food prices and ensure food security, granted a 150-day duty-free import window for some food commodities.

The suspended duty tariffs and taxes will be on the importation of certain food items across the land and sea borders which include maize, cowpeas, wheat, and husked brown rice.

However, experts have suggested more sustainable measures such as addressing the issue of insecurity, foreign exchange and transportation costs to address the soaring food prices and ensure food security.

Food inflation persists as prices of bread, others increase – NBS report

(NAN)

Canadian lady jailed 11 years for importing 35.20kg cannabis to Nigeria

One Adrienne Munju has been sentenced to eleven years imprisonment over possession of illicit substance.

Munju, 41, was convicted and sentenced by the
Federal High Court in Lagos State on Wednesday for importing 35.20 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud (Cannabis Sativa) into Nigeria.

She was arraigned by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on two counts charge which she pled guilty to during her arraignment and prosecution.

Following her plea of guilt, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu handed down the judgment and also gave her an option of N100m fine.

Earlier when the convict was arraigned, the NDLEA prosecutor, Mr Abu Ibrahim, told the court that Munju without lawful authority imported 35.20 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as ‘Canadian Loud’, into Nigeria.

Ibrahim said the incident occurred on or about October 3, 2024, during the inward clearance of inbound passengers on the KLM flight at the ‘D’ Arrival Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to the prosecutor, the offence committed contravened Section 20(1), (a) and punishable under Section 20(2) (a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

However, Munju pleaded guilty to the charges against her.

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Following her guilty plea, Ibrahim informed the court of the readiness of the prosecution to review the facts of the case and a prosecution witness was called in to give evidence and tender relevant exhibits.

The prosecutor after reviewing the facts of the case urged the court to convict Munju, as charged, based on the evidence placed before the court, and the exhibits tendered and her guilty plea.

Justice Dipeolu, on reviewing the facts of the case as submitted by Ibrahim, convicted Munju as charged.

In his allocutus before the court, the counsel for Munju, Benson Ndakara, leading Dennis Warri, Kate Igbo and others pleaded with the court to have mercy on the convict.

“We plead for leniency on behalf of the convict, my Lord.

The convict pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity by not wasting the precious time of the court and has been very remorseful,” he said.

Ndakara added that the convict had vowed never to toe the path of criminality again and to be more careful in the future if given a second chance.

Speaking on the aggravating factor leading to the crime, Ndakara said the convict was deceived into taking the high risk and urged the court to be lenient in sentencing her.

The convict’s counsel also pleaded with the court to impose an option of fine on the convict instead of the custodian sentence, adding that the convict had no relatives or acquaintances in Nigeria and had been abandoned by everyone.

After listening to the defence counsel’s allocutus, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Munju to six years imprisonment on count one and five years on count two or an option of N50m fine on each count.

Justice Dipeolu, however, ordered that both sentence and option of fine shall run concurrently.

Canadian lady jailed 11 years for importing 35.20kg cannabis to Nigeria