At a local gas station in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), the facial expression of a studentpreneur, Kemisola changed after she heard the new price per kilogramme of cooking gas. The last time she was in school, the price of gas per kg was N450, now it is N550.
According to the International Energy Agency, the common demand for natural gas could rise by more than half by 2040. Natural gas is the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon.
The continuous hike in the price of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) also called cooking gas has caused so much havoc for students on campuses especially students that are entrepreneurs.
In AAUA, where students resumed for another session last week, it was noticed that the price of goods and commodities – including cooking gas – increased beyond what it used to be before for the students, most especially for the freshers who were just offered admission.
Students lament over the incessant hike
A student, Onaja Simon frowned at the consistent increase in the price of cooking gas. He said, “The increase in cooking gas from N450 in May to N500 or N550 as of June to this moment is alarming. And there are some local gas stations that refill #600 per kg and they know students will refill because they don’t have any alternative.”
Another student said, “the price never reduces rather it get increases every day.’’
While another student said, “the sad issue about this gas of a thing is that it doesn’t last long like before.”
Dapo Oluwaferanmi said, “I don’t know the benefit of these people, most especially their illegal exploitation of money from students.” She further explained that if she can go and refill from Ikere which is the nearby community to Akungba that she will.
One of the freshers, Tofunmi said, “I wonder why they will be selling gas N600 per kg but when I went immediately I heard the price I have to call and inform my roommate that this was not Lagos and she later gave me go ahead because we had no option.”
Ifedayo frowned at how Akungba community make life easy for students.
“Akungba is a country on its own because every commodity here is always expensive even up to natural gas in which some refill N550 and some N600 per kg.”
Sad stories from student entrepreneurs
A studentpreneur known as C jay fries lamented that the price of gas has affected him negatively that all of sudden from N300 – N500 per kg.
“Normally, I fill 4kg for N1400, but now 4kg is N2000 . I run a small company, spending such an amount on gas isn’t easy for an entrepreneur.”
“The worst of all, they[gas] don’t last, I complained one time, the man agreed, saying it’s a general problem, so they are aware of it.”
Another studentpreneur, Foodie hub describes it as things that are not normal and not improper. He said with the increase in the price of gas one can’t increase the price of other food.
He later concluded by saying that; there is no other thing other than one can’t change price and I would want to have many orders so I can man the job at once to save gas.
In the same vein, another studentpreneur Voice Cusine lamented that the hike in cooking gas has affected her production.
“The increase in natural gas has affected my production greatly for instance profit reduces because before the increase in gas price, when I make I rubber of flour I see about 1,000 or 1,500 profit but since the price of the natural gas increases the profit got reduced and you know our people don’t want to understand while some will be it’s what they buy that they will sell but the point is that most people complain a lot.
“Let use chin-chin as an example, before when you get two N50 chin-chin with a cold mineral you will be satisfied either for breakfast or lunch but now even if you get N200 chin-chin it won’t get anywhere because nothing much in it.”
With the incessant increase in the price of cooking gas, life will be uneasy for the students and food vendors in the university community.
Edited by Oluwatosin Ologun.
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