The price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, has risen sharply across Nigeria as increasing import expenses and limited supply continue to push retail prices higher.
Market surveys reveal that Lagos currently records the steepest increases, with cooking gas selling for as much as N2,000 per kilogramme in some areas. Other cities, including Abuja, Kano, Bida, and Port Harcourt, are also experiencing steady price hikes.
According to marketers and depot operators, many importers have either reduced or suspended LPG imports because of high landing costs and foreign exchange challenges. This has tightened supply nationwide and driven up reseller margins.
Investigations by LEADERSHIP showed that Lagos and neighbouring Ogun State have been hit hardest. In Alakuko, Lagos, gas now sells between N1,800 and N2,000 per kilogramme. In Atan, Ota, Ogun State, prices range from N1,600 to N1,800 depending on the outlet.
At Primeview Gas Plant in Obere, Atan, customers pay about N1,450 per kilogramme, while retailers around Berger, Warewa, and Arepo sell between N1,700 and N1,800. Along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Sungas Filling Station in Aseese dispenses gas at around N1,600 per kilogramme, meaning a 12kg cylinder now costs approximately N19,200.
Residents and small business owners have expressed frustration over the persistent increases. At a gas station on Oba-Akran Road in Ikeja, cooking gas rose from N1,300 to N1,500 per kilogramme within one week.
An egg seller lamented that the rising cost of gas was cutting deeply into her earnings, noting that roadside retailers charge even higher prices of between N1,700 and N1,800 per kilogramme due to additional profit margins.
Another trader complained that repeated increases were making it difficult for small businesses to survive, adding that many traders rely heavily on cooking gas for daily operations.
The rising cost of LPG has raised fears that some households may return to using firewood and kerosene because of worsening economic conditions.
In Abuja, traders reported buying gas at around N1,400 per kilogramme at depots, while roadside sellers charged up to N1,750. In Bida, Niger State, prices hovered around N1,600 per kilogramme.
Port Harcourt has also experienced shortages, with some depots selling between N1,700 and N1,800 per kilogramme. Industry insiders said only a few suppliers, including NESGAS Limited, currently have available stock in Lagos, further tightening supply.
A major marketer disclosed that ex-depot prices surged to about N1,500 per kilogramme within days, causing panic in the downstream market and pushing retail prices closer to N2,000 in high-demand areas.
Industry stakeholders blamed the crisis on rising import costs, foreign exchange pressures, and inadequate storage infrastructure, which continue to discourage active importation.
Meanwhile, NESGAS Limited recently secured a $200 million contractor financing agreement with Cakasa Nigeria Limited to build a 50,000-metric-tonne LPG storage facility in Onne, Rivers State.
Although Nigeria is regarded as one of the fastest-growing LPG markets globally, experts say the country’s current storage capacity of about 800,000 metric tonnes remains far below the estimated national requirement of five million metric tonnes, contributing to unstable distribution and rising prices.
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