Environment
Kerosene Scarcity: Households Resort To Firewood
As kerosene scarcity bites harder, more Rivers households are now relying on firewood as their source of energy.
Our correspondents report that a bottle of kerosene is now selling between N700 and N800 in some markets especially in Port Harcourt City and environs.
A recent market survey conducted by our correspondents on the prices of the product in some markets in Port Harcourt shows that a bottle of kerosene which used to sell N150 and N200 now sells at N700 to N800.
A visit to the Eleme junction market shows the product selling at N700 while at the small market at Igbo Etche, the product is selling at N800.
Investigation also revealed that in some rural communities, especially in the riverine areas the product is non existent.
Similarly, prices of firewoods have also gone up, at Igbo Etche, a trader told The Tide that a bundle of firewood which before at N100 now sells between N300 to N400.
According to Mrs. OgechiIzuba, “even firewood self is scarce”, adding that they now go to bush markets to get them.
The Tide also learnt that some food vendors have also increased the prices of their food.
A food vendor who simply gave her name as Mrs. Blessing told our correspondent that the situation was affecting her business negatively.
In her words, “ I have increased the price of my food because of the increase in kerosene and firewood prices.
“I barely make enough from sales and this increment is really not helping”.
She also said she resorted to the use of firewood because of the increase in price of kerosene.
“ I started using firewood because I could not cope up. It is raining season now.
Speaking with our correspondent at Eneka, Miss Caroline Mbata regretted that kerosene which used to be at the doorsteps of every household was now a scarce commodity.
She said the price of the product was driving the women to revert to the old method of using fire wood as a source of energy and stressed the need for the government to do something about it.
Also, a petty trader, Obinna Johnson said the situation was biting is bitting harder on many households.
He regretted that kerosene which was the commonest product for the common man was now a scarce commodity.
Obinna also urged the government to do something about it.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Reginagilead Foundation for the elderly, Mrs. Ebiware .N. Helen has called on households not to increase their reliance on firewood for cooking.
Helen, who spoke on the situation in an interview with The Tide said cutting down trees for firewood has a big negative impact on the environment.
She said the situation contributed to climate change, stressing that instead of using firewood, they can use coal.
Helen said firewood smoke caused blindness, “we do not need kerosene and firewood. Coal does not generate smoke.
“ Coal is very cheap to get, it does not cost much so i am appealing to our women to look for coal instead of kerosene and firewood” she said.
By: John Bibor, Oribimlbama & Precious Boms
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.