A Professor of Environment Management and Control with the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Christian Madu, has said the nation’s vegetation and trees are paying dearly for the high cost of kerosene and cooking gas as millions of people struggle to survive.
He disclosed this during the weekend in Enugu.
Prof. Madu noted that the current development was eroding all gains made……. by the country over decades to ensure her people subscribe to clean energy use for both industrial and domestic purposes.
The Prof said that as it stands, environmental concerns had been placed at the back burner and the country’s commitment to join the international community on clean energy use was waning.
He said the increment in the prices of kerosene and cooking gas had made the majority of the poor masses to switch to firewood across the country.
He said: “The high cost of kerosene and in particular cooking gas affects production cost.
“The locals are already resorting to the use of firewood, and this sets us back from all the campaign and sensitisation that many of us have conducted to encourage transition to the use of natural gas as a cleaner energy alternative.”
Madu regretted that before now, most Nigerians had subscribed to the use of clean energy and enjoying its benefits; but now “we are having a reverse”.
“I think there is a loss of trust in the system. Many people that bought into the campaign to use cooking gas invested in cylinders and stoves.
“They feel disappointed and have equally abandoned and packed up those units.
“We can get them back, but we need to rebuild their confidence and assure them of stable cooking gas and kerosene prices,” he added.
A litre of kerosene sells between N750 and N800 in fuel stations, while a kilogramme of cooking gas sells between N850 and N900 in cooking gas stations in most parts of the country.
