Business
Skyrocketing LPG, Kerosene Prices Destabilise Households
Many households in Port Harcourt and its environs, as well as other parts of the country have been enmeshed in unbearable hardship daily over continuous increase in prices of cooking gas (Liquified Petroleum Gas) and kerosene.
The Tide’s check within Port Harcourt and its environs has revealed that many households that had relied on cooking gas and kerosene, have now resorted to the use of firewood, which is also not easy to get as before.
It has become more worrisome also with newly released reports by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that prices of kerosene and cooking gas rose by 99 per cent and 122 per cent respectively recently.
In one of the households, Mrs Jane Oke, a petty trader at the Rumuosi market, in Akpor Kingdom, who opened up on her ordeal, said coping with the constantly increasing kerosene prices is becoming unbearable for her and her six-member family.
She said her husband, Mr John Oke, is a roadside mechanic whose earning is not ever enough to take them through the month, saying her gives her a monthly upkeep of N30, 000 which she has to manage per month.
“I am even tired of cutting costs because each time you go to buy things at the market, you would notice that the price you bought last week is not the same price it would be sold this week,” she lamented.
On her part, Mrs Hannah Chigor, a resident of Rumuoke Community, off Ada-George area of Port Harcourt, said, things are no longer easy for them, since her husband lost his job.
According to her, their family of seven has been having difficulty in coping with the buying of gas and kerosene to meet the daily demand of the family, noting that though she has opted using firewood, it is also not easy to get it presently because of the demand for it.
Meanwhile, the data from the NBS has shown that the average retail price per litre of household kerosene, otherwise known as cooking kerosene, paid by consumers in July 2022 was N789.75, indicating an increase of 3.68 per cent compared to N761.69 recorded in June 2022.
On state profile analysis, the highest average price per litre in July 2022 was recorded in Enugu with N1,004, followed by Ekiti with N989 and Osun with N949.
On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Bayelsa State at N643, followed by Benue State whose price was N655, and Rivers State at N655.
Also, analysis by zone showed that the South-West recorded the highest average retail price per litre at N901, followed by the South-East, whose cost was N892, and North-Central at N762, while the South-South recorded the lowest at N727.
The average retail price per gallon paid by consumers in July 2022 was N2,888, showing an increase of 7.98 per cent from N2,673 in June 2022.
On state profile analysis, Abuja recorded the highest average retail price per gallon at N3,600, followed by Enugu at N3,501 and Ekiti at N3,450.
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had halted the importation of the product, leading to continuous hike in prices by independent marketers.
NNPC has also not been able to produce any drop for a couple of years now due to the non-functionality of refineries.
A middle-class banker with one of the high-rising financial institutions in Port Harcourt, Mrs Nike Ogunjimi, said the skyrocketing cooking gas prices were affecting her family negatively.
Narrating her ordeal, she said her four-member family now rationed their gas usage.
“Unfortunately for my family, from 2020 till today, there has not been any increase in salary, nothing! Instead, what we get is an increase in the cost of living. Prices of foods are hitting us hard, and gas is not helping matters at all.
“In August, I filled a 12.5kg cylinder for N11, 000 from around N3500 that we bought in 2020. And the price is still increasing because it’s now N11, 500. Where are we going in this country for God’s sake? I don’t blame those running away to better economies,” she said.
According to the NBS data, Ebonyi State recorded the highest average retail price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder at N11,212, followed by Delta State at N10,926 and Ekiti at N10,883.
Conversely, the lowest average price was recorded in Katsina State at N8,355, followed by Yobe and Kano States at N8,383 and N8,614 respectively.
Also, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder increased by 3.56 per cent on a month-on-month basis from N9,486 in June 2022 to N9,824 in July 2022.
On a year-on-year basis, this rose by 122.15 per cent from N4,422 in July 2021.
The Federal Government has said it intends to deepen local gas usage through its National Gas Expansion Programme.
By: Corlins Walter
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter