Nigerians Groan as Cooking Gas Price Hits ₦1,500 per Kg

By Emmanuel Kwada

Cooking gas prices have surged to as high as ₦1,500 per kilogram across several parts of Nigeria, triggering widespread hardship for households and businesses already struggling with the high cost of living.

Gas marketers under the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) have raised the alarm over the escalating scarcity and skyrocketing prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), warning that the situation is becoming unbearable for ordinary Nigerians.

In a strongly worded press statement issued on Sunday, NALPGAM noted that the price of cooking gas has jumped from about ₦1,300 per kg in recent weeks to over ₦1,500 per kg in many areas, depending on location and availability.

The association expressed deep concern over the “erratic supply and hike in price” of the essential commodity, describing the development as “sad and rather very pathetic.”

“It is sad and rather very pathetic to inform the general public that the citizens of Nigeria have woken up to buy cooking gas, which should be a social item, at a prohibitive cost of over ₦1,500 per kg,” the statement read.

Marketers revealed that while consumers pay these exorbitant rates, they are compelled to buy 20 metric tonnes (20MT) of LPG at depot prices ranging from ₦25.2 million to ₦26.2 million, depending on the location.

The soaring prices are hitting citizens hard. A resident of Yola, Adamawa State shared his frustration with Tgnews after purchasing a 5kg cylinder.

“It’s pathetic. I just bought 5 kg now at ₦7,500 from A.A Rano,” he said.

The crisis is hitting vulnerable groups hardest. Low-income families, food vendors, and small businesses that depend heavily on LPG for daily operations are bearing the brunt of the price surge.

“This sad situation has brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerian households, small businesses, food vendors, and low-income families who rely on LPG for daily cooking and livelihood,” NALPGAM stated.

The association warned that if urgent steps are not taken, frustrated citizens might direct their anger at owners of gas filling stations.

NALPGAM also expressed worry that the development is reversing gains made in promoting clean energy adoption. Many households are reportedly reverting to firewood and charcoal, with damaging consequences for public health, the environment, and increased deforestation.

The marketers identified persistent supply shortages, inflated depot prices, logistics challenges, and rising operational costs as the major drivers of the current crisis.

Without swift intervention, the group cautioned that the situation could lead to accelerated food inflation, collapse of small-scale LPG businesses, job losses, reduced investor confidence, and setbacks to Nigeria’s clean energy and climate commitments.

The association called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, and other stakeholders to act immediately.

Key demands include: Increased domestic LPG allocation to the Nigerian market; Transparent and equitable distribution of available supply; Reduction of bottlenecks in importation, storage, and distribution; Strategic interventions to stabilise retail prices; Investment in critical infrastructure such as storage and distribution facilities

NALPGAM reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with all relevant parties to restore stability and affordability in the LPG sector.

“We cannot stand by and watch millions of Nigerian families suffer in silence while access to clean cooking energy becomes increasingly difficult and unaffordable,” the statement concluded.

As the high cost of living continues to bite, many Nigerians are hoping for swift government action to ease the burden of this latest essential commodity price hike.