Nigeria is experiencing a growing return to traditional cooking fuels as rising prices of cooking gas and kerosene push many households to switch to firewood and charcoal in order to cope with worsening living costs.
Market trends across major cities show that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices have increased sharply, with household refilling costs in many areas now ranging between ₦1,500 and ₦2,000 per kilogram. At the same time, kerosene prices have surged to around ₦4,000 per litre in several markets, placing additional pressure on low-income families already struggling with inflation and reduced purchasing power.
The sustained increase is linked to foreign exchange volatility, high import dependence, logistics challenges, and broader inflationary pressures affecting Nigeria’s energy supply chain. These combined factors have made modern cooking fuels significantly less affordable for millions of households.
Brandspur Banking News Desk reports that the economic strain is driving increased reliance on firewood and charcoal, particularly in peri-urban and rural communities, as families search for cheaper and more accessible energy alternatives for daily cooking needs.
Energy experts warn that while this shift provides short-term financial relief, it raises serious concerns about environmental degradation, deforestation, and indoor air pollution, which remain major public health risks in communities that depend heavily on biomass fuel.
Firewood remains one of the most widely used cooking energy sources in Nigeria, especially among low-income households with limited access to stable energy infrastructure. However, analysts caution that growing dependence on solid fuels could undermine national clean energy transition goals and widen existing energy inequality gaps.
The current trend reflects broader economic hardship, with households already grappling with rising food inflation, transportation costs, and stagnant incomes. As energy prices continue to rise, many families are being forced to adjust cooking habits, reduce meal frequency, or switch entirely to cheaper traditional fuels.
Policy observers say urgent interventions are needed to stabilise LPG supply, improve domestic refining capacity, and expand affordable energy access if Nigeria is to prevent a deeper energy poverty crisis in 2026 and beyond.
