A Nigerian man, simply identified as Yaya Abba, has sparked online debates after advising parents to teach their daughters how to cook with firewood and charcoal, citing the rising cost of cooking gas in the country.
Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) account, Abba expressed concern over the increasing cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas, which has made it unaffordable for many households. He argued that it is now necessary for young women to learn alternative cooking methods such as using charcoal and firewood.
According to Abba, many men can no longer afford to purchase cooking gas regularly, and the husbands of these young women may not have the same financial privileges as their fathers. Therefore, he believes it is important for daughters to be prepared for potential financial struggles in marriage.
In his exact words, he wrote: “Parents should try as much as possible to teach their daughters how to use charcoal and firewood as their primary means of cooking. Given the fact that cooking gas is now unnecessarily expensive, a lot of men can’t afford it.
Even if your parents don’t use charcoal or firewood, you should at least learn how to because your husbands might not be as opportune as your father.”
His statement quickly gained traction, leading to a heated discussion on social media, with many Nigerians expressing strong opinions on the matter.
One user, @zeinymira, criticized Abba’s stance, writing: “I have seen ridiculous takes before, but this one takes the cake. Date your WAGE. Why can’t you learn how to cook with firewood? So the poor girl should be the one to suffer, all in the name of marriage?”
Another user, @Oflgk, completely disagreed with Abba’s advice, stating: “Please do not teach your daughters how to cook with wood or charcoal. Do not allow your daughters or sisters to marry a man who can’t afford cooking gas. If you’re a man who can’t afford cooking gas, you shouldn’t be getting married just yet.”
@FurkanAkeyede also weighed in on the discussion, saying: “Please, men, the only thing that can save you from all this preaching is to marry within or below your class. Especially financially. You won’t expect someone that never used charcoal in her life to start learning how to because you can’t afford gas or electricity.”
On the other hand, @Sammie_kreative simply dismissed the entire discussion, writing: “Na poverty be that.”
As the debate continues, opinions remain divided on whether parents should prepare their daughters for economic hardships in marriage or whether financial stability should be a prerequisite for getting married in the first place.
