Nigeria’s rising inflation is dampening the country’s economic growth and eroding consumer purchasing power which has led to high increments of basic amenities like transportation, electricity, cooking gas, and others.
In a data obtained by AAUA INSIDER, The price of Liquefied Natural Gas, LPG, known as cooking gas has risen both locally and globally between January and August 2022 in many parts of the country.
This sudden increment due to high inflation has caught many people unaware and forced them into adapting to their conventional style of cooking with either firewood or charcoal due to the economic hardship in the country.
A market survey showed that the 12kg, which price stood at N7, 500 in January had risen to N10, 500 by August in Lagos, Abuja, and many other populated cities, which had compelled many households to switch to charcoal and kerosene.
Students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria are not in any way excluded from this drop bombshell.
Many of them have condemned the skyrocketed increment in gas prices saying that it’s another devastating moment for the welfare of Nigerian students.
Speaking with the Student Union Vice President of Federal University Oye Ekiti, Aruna Oluwaseun, disclosed that while the increment of gas will affect the welfare of students, she affirmed that the inflationary price has also affected goods in the country.
However, Oluwaseun added that the students have no other choice but to adapt and cope with the new system of things not only in gas prices but also in every other commodity in the market.
“We will have to cope as long as we have a side hustle, our income must get higher too. No one who had tasted an improved lifestyle would prefer their past times, we will continue using gas, because it’s safer and easy to use, “Oluwaseun added
Similarly, the Chairman of the Lawyer Coordinating Committee (LCC) for Usman Danfodio University Chapter, Olanrewaju Hammed noted that the increment in gas price is a result of the maladministration and misappropriation of the government sectors in charge, as the price in the past is unfavourable talkless of the present.
Hammed contended that the effects will be the same or rather worsen as it is applicable to students, especially those in public universities whose parents are actually poor and who tend to experience the burden the most.
Umar Faruq a 200level student of Kwara State university explained the popular saying, “A hungry man is an angry man, that is; when someone is angry, no one should be out of bound. How do you expect a student who has not eaten since morning to write an exam and pass or How do u expect a hungry student to read?”
Umar added that the Masses must be saved from the moribund situation by taking a look into Qualitative measures that can save the masses from poverty as many programs have been put in place by the previous administrations and even the present, but they lack consistency.
Another student, Muhammed Yakubu, a political science student from the University of Lokoja, revealed that the hike in the price was too much and its main effect is on the poor student.
“When school finally resumes, I will use gas and sometimes a stove to cook. Even if I will use cooking gas because it is a fast method, I will still reduce the rate at which I use my gas in school”, he blurted.
He added that he would also use charcoal as a substitution as the cost price for it is range from N50 to N100.
Furthermore, a student of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba, Funmi Aishat revealed that she would reduce her daily cooking from thrice to once.
She said she would not use charcoal because its smoke causes environmental pollution which tends to affect the society at large.
Sunday Awosoro, a Mass Communication student of Federal University Oye-Ekiti, maintained that no matter the hike in the price, he would not divert to other means, saying he hates stove and charcoal smoke.
“I grew up in a family where firewood was used to cook all meals and I always got into trouble with my mummy whenever I complained about using the axe to break the wood,” Awosoro said.
“These are all that have constituted my hatred for any cooking method that emits smokes,” he added.
However, Nigerian students admit to adapting and tolerating the hiked lifestyles after the ASUU strike as there are no other encouraging means to adopt but implore the government to look into the sudden hike and provide possible solutions, before the call off of the strike.
Author
Omo we are tired ooo
Government should help us