Some residents of Kano, who depend on charcoal for cooking and other energy needs, have expressed deep worry over the sharp rise in its price in the city.
The people made the complaint in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday.
They said that the price had gone beyond the reach of the ordinary person.
A housewife, Mrs Aisha Isa, said that a big bag of the commodity, which sold for N4,000, now goes for N6,500.
She said that it had become extremely difficult to find N50 charcoal anywhere in the city, pointing out that the cheapest quantity sales for N150.
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Another resident, Mrs Agnes John, also bemoaned the development, arguing that the commodity “is gradually becoming unaffordable to the common man”.
John urged the government to subsidise cooking gas so that it would be affordable to many Nigerians.
Mr Baba Jibril said he enjoyed using charcoal to cook and iron his clothes because it is smoke-free and cheap.
“But now its price is beyond my reach as a bag sales between N6,500 and N7,000.
“I am contemplating reverting to firewood but it is also expensive,” Jibril said.
A food vendor at Tarauni, Hauwa Adamu, said that the high cost of kerosene and cooking gas “has suddenly made charcoal popular”.
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A charcoal dealer on France Road in Sabon-gari, Rabiu Abdullahi, attributed the price hike to the high cost of transportation.
He said that although the price of the commodity rose from N4,500 to N6,700 per sack, the demand was on the increase.
Abdullahi attributed the patronage to the high cost of kerosene and cooking gas.
“A family can spend between N16,000 and N20,000 worth of kerosene per month, whereas a bag of charcoal can last for at least two months, no matter how often it is used,’’ he said.
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Another trader at Dakata, Nura Garba, also linked the current price rise to the high transportation cost and insecurity.
He said that most families buy the commodity in large quantities due to the high cost of kerosene and other energy sources.
“We have continued to experience good and profitable business for sometime now.
“Due to the increase in demand, we now sell more than two bags on a daily basis,” he said.