Date: 2017-06-13

As the effect of economic recession bites harder, housewives in Kwara State have abandoned the use of kerosene and embraced charcoal. Nigerian Pilot's checks yesterday in Ilorin revealed that many homes and canteens are now patronising charcoal sellers instead of kerosene, which is now sold for N145 per litre instead of its former price of between N190 and N200.

A bag of charcoal, according to our correspondent's findings, is sold between N1,500 and N1,600. Speaking with our correspondent, a housewife, Madam Ronke Afolabi, disclosed that she would rather buy charcoal that would last her for days than buy kerosene that could barely last for a week.

"It is economically viable for me to buy charcoal at the rate of N1,600, which would last for three weeks or even a month than to buy kerosene that won't last for a week," she explained.

Also, a canteen operator, Mrs. Hannah Olayemi, on her part, said she would continue to use charcoal for a long time to come as she could not cope with the unstable yet outrageous price of kerosene.

"I have decided to continue to use charcoal for all my cooking and I do not think that I would change my mind because it is always available and affordable."

But a kerosene retailer, Mrs. Raliat Mohammed, confirmed to this medium that some of her costumers had stopped patronising her due to the unstable price of kerosene and paucity of funds.

Mohammed said: "If I must confess to you, patronage is becoming poorer daily because our customers won't stop complaining and since you cannot force them to buy, one would have no choice than to hope for the best.

"For almost a year now, I have installed new pump equipment, which I hardly put to use due to short supplies from the source coupled with financial problems."

A pump attendance at one of the filling stations along Offa Garage Road, Ilorin, who did not want his name in print, confirmed that kerosene sales now suffer low patronage owning to paucity of fund.