The rising cost of kerosene, which is the choice cooking fuel of many Nigerians, is deplorable. Reports from different parts of the country including Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Enugu, Aba, Jos and Kaduna indicate a scarcity of the product at its retail outlets. This shortage is most likely responsible for the sharp rise in its price, which moved from N500 to N1,200 for a gallon of four litres.
The scarcity of kerosene has come at a time the price of cooking gas has equally risen from N2,300 to N4,000 for a 2.5kg cylinder size. It has been traced in some quarters to the fact that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the sole importer of the product, in spite of the deregulation policy of the Federal Government.
Recall that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in January this year increased the price of household kerosene at NNPC retail outlets from N50 to N83 per litre. In spite of this, the product was not available at the N83 per litre official price in the first and second quarters of the year.
We condemn the rise in the price of kerosene. It is scandalous that Nigerians are being made to buy a litre of kerosene at N300, which is far above the N83 official price. The government should address the current shortage of the product by involving more industry players in its supply. It is not possible for NNPC alone to supply enough kerosene for the Nigerian market.
The government agencies responsible for the importation of kerosene must rise to this challenge and ensure availability of the product nationwide. They should also address its high cost. It is absurd that kerosene, which is used by most low-income earners for cooking and lighting their lanterns, is now more expensive than diesel and petrol. Government should quickly intervene and check this anomaly. We cannot afford to have kerosene, on which most Nigerians depend for their domestic energy needs, far beyond their reach.
The duty of the government is to ensure the security and welfare of citizens. We believe that making kerosene available at an affordable price is part of government’s social contract with the people.
The government must not renege on this social contract with the people. We advise government to fine-tune its deregulation of petroleum sector so that Nigerians are not shortchanged by shylock marketers of petroleum products such as kerosene, diesel and petrol. All the stakeholders in the sector should rid themselves of the mindset that deregulation always means price hikes.
Deregulation should lead to greater availability of the products at competitive prices. We have witnessed this in the telecoms sector and will welcome a repeat of it in the petroleum industry.
While government directs its attention at improving the supply and reducing the price of kerosene, it should also encourage the use of cooking gas by more Nigerians. Gas is a cleaner, more convenient and more effective fuel. It is healthier and more environmentally-friendly.
If more Nigerians use gas for their cooking, there will be less pressure on kerosene. Both fuels should, therefore, be made more widely available and affordable in the country.
Since food is a basic need of man, the government should ensure the availability of cooking fuels at reasonable prices in the country.