SOME students of Yakubu Gowon University have decried the soaring price of kerosene, which now sells for between N1,300 and N2,500 per litre at filling stations.
The students, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, in Abuja, said the situation was taking a toll on their daily living.
They said they had been forced to reduce cooking, skip meals and seek alternative ways to cope with the increasing cost of living.
The students described the situation as “unfavourable’’, saying it had made life unbearable amid the current hardship in the country caused by the economic recession.
NAN reports that Kerosene (Household Kerosene or HHK) is currently in short supply and highly expensive nationwide.
NAN also reports that kerosene, once the cheapest cooking fuel has become a luxury product costing families between N2,900 to N4,000 per litre depending on the area.
NAN further reports that the product is now scarce at filling stations, forcing consumers to depend on informal vendors.
Analysts attribute the sharp increase in prices to the deregulation of petroleum products, the depreciation of the naira, and disruptions in the supply chain.
Ms Comfort Oyewole said she buys kerosene from fellow students in the hostel at N2,900 per litre because it was convenient for her.
“I usually buy one litre, and it lasts me for about a week because I don’t cook much,” Oyewole said.
According to her, I have no alternative source of cooking fuel, so if I don’t have kerosene, I have to buy food until I can afford to buy kerosene.
“The increase in kerosene prices has affected me a lot. I now cook less often, which means I do not eat enough, and I end up spending money on snacks instead,” she said.
Another student, Mr Yod Elohim, said a litre of kerosene sells for about N3,400 at the campus market.
“I usually buy half a litre for N1,700 and it will last for about two days if I cook twice daily,” he said.
Mr Joseph Kolade of the Department of Nursing Science said it had not been easy for him to buy kerosene at N2,000 per litre.
“I hardly eat outside; I like to cook for myself because I don’t feel satisfied when I eat outside.
“The two litres I bought on Monday cost N4,000 and I felt bad paying that money to the station attendant.
“The government should not be allowing marketers of petroleum products marketers in this country to hold Nigerians to ransom by selling at whatever prices they like,” he said.
Mr Emeka Okoye, Department of Health Education, urged government to put measures in place to alleviate the hardship in the country that had doubled the prices of goods in the market.
“Because of high cost of kerosene which I cannot afford to buy, I now resort to buying cooked food outside.
“I am pleading with the government to take urgent steps to ensure that kerosene is available and affordable for Nigerians.” he said.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), retail price of kerosene surged across Nigeria in April 2026, with residents of Sokoto, Lagos, and Kebbi paying about N4, 000 per litre. (NAN)
