A severe supply crunch has pushed the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to an unprecedented ₦2,000 per kilogramme in Osun State, forcing thousands of households and small businesses to abandon cleaner energy for firewood and charcoal.

A survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the state capital and surrounding communities revealed that the sharp price hike has strained domestic budgets, inflated operational costs for food vendors, and triggered a quiet return to biomass fuels.

Vendors, Housewives Cry Out

For local food vendors, the price surge threatens their very survival. Mrs. Rukayat Abiola, a fast-food operator at the Owode-Ede Market, disclosed that her operational expenses have skyrocketed. To stay afloat, she has marginally increased food prices and integrated charcoal into her daily operations to cut costs.

"The government must step in," Abiola pleaded. "This persistent increase is killing small businesses."

Domestic consumers are feeling an identical pinch. Mrs. Folasade Adebayo, a resident of Owode-Ede, likened the current cost of refilling a standard gas cylinder to paying school fees. She noted that the rapid jump from ₦1,400 to ₦2,000 per kg left her with no choice but to purchase a traditional coal pot.

Civil service families are also adjusting. Mrs. Juliet Adeosun, a housewife in Osogbo, noted that her husband’s fixed salary can no longer absorb the erratic spikes in energy costs.

"We are rationing our spending," Adeosun said. "If prices do not drop by the end of the month, we are transitioning to a coal pot."

The crisis marks a full circle for many residents. Mrs. Foluke Olugbemiga, a petty trader, recalled how high kerosene prices years ago forced her family to adopt gas. "Now that gas is unaffordable, we have no choice but to return to firewood," she lamented.

Retailers Blame Depot Costs

Gas marketers in the state have defended the pricing, attributing the spike to forces beyond their control. At Dada Estate in Osogbo, retail prices have hovered as high as ₦2,150 per kg.

Retailer Dayo Efunkunle explained that the adjustment reflects surging depot rates, severe supply fluctuations, and high logistics overheads.

"We are not profiteering," structural marketer Kunle Ibiyemi added. "The high retail price is strictly driven by acute supply shortages."

Ibiyemi warned that without immediate federal intervention to boost local production, improve distribution networks, and stabilise prices, the environmental gains made in promoting clean energy over the last decade could be entirely erased.