By Charles Ebi and Rotimi Asher
Nigerians have lamented the surge in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas ,LPG, also known as cooking gas prices have skyrocketed last week due to supply shortages as Lagos residents now paying between N2,500 and N3,000 per kilogram, as scarcity grips major cities
Checks confirmed that the cost of refilling per kg has gone up 90 per cent from N1,300 to around N2,000 – N2,500 in the last week, meaning it would cost an average of N15,000 and N30,000 to fill 6kg and 12.5kg cylinders.
According to the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers ,NALPGAM, Mr Bassey Essien, the distribution of the product was disrupted by the recent industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ,PENGASSAN, and Dangote Refinery.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery is currently the highest local supplier of cooking gas in Nigeria. The crisis involving PENGASSAN scuttled distribution. Many dealers could not replenish their stocks during the period.
‘’What we are witnessing is a function of demand and supply. In practice, the demand for cooking gas is higher than supply. But supply would likely stabilise in the coming days, following resolution of the conflict”, he said.
Retailers in Lagos and environs have shut their plants, further stoking fears that prices may further increase in coming days.
Meanwhile, the price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder has surged to N21,600, in the Moshalashi area of Idi-Oro, while around Amuwo Odofin, the same quantity now costs as high as N26,000 equivalent to N2,080 per kg.
In Abuja, the price is slightly lower but still biting hard on households, with a 12.5kg cylinder going for about N20,000 ,N1,600 per kg, around the Nyanya axis.
Many residents say several filling stations and gas plants have run out of stock, leaving only street vendors with limited supplies at inflated prices.
The sudden scarcity has led to growing frustration among consumers, with long queues forming at a handful of gas plants that still have the product.
However, residents, who spoke to AljazirahNigeria correspondent, expressed disbelief at the situation, saying: “I’ve never seen a cooking gas queue in my entire life, not even during Abacha’s brutal regime. This is the first time”.
Energy analysts have linked the spike in prices to recent disruptions in supply chains.
Princewill Udo, an energy expert, explained that a brief industrial action by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ,PENGASSAN, at the Dangote Refinery triggered a temporary halt in distribution, exposing the fragility of Nigeria’s domestic gas supply network.
“The sudden spike in cooking gas prices across Nigeria is triggered by a brief strike by PENGASSAN at the Dangote Refinery. The disruption in supply has exposed how vulnerable everyday commodities are to industrial actions”, Udo said.
“This situation highlights the urgent need for stronger supply chain management, alternative energy solutions, and government intervention to stabilize essential goods and protect citizens from such shocks”.
Experts warn that if the scarcity persists, more households may resort to unsafe alternatives like charcoal, firewood, and kerosene posing serious health and environmental risks.
Also speaking, Mr Sunday, a gas retailer in the Orelope area of Egbeda, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, said he couldn’t get supply from his distributor, and was rationing the fuel and only selling to his loyal customers.
He added that there is a possibility that stability may return this week, but warned that prices may continue to rise as consumers move from one place to another in search of cooking gas.
Expressing her frustration, a consumer identified only as Habeebah lamented the cost of the cooking fuel, saying “I am actually frustrated, I just bought 1kg of gas for N2,500. This can’t continue”.
Adding his input, another consumer that refused to be named told this newspaper that, “It is actually scarce in my area, but it is essential to me so I have to buy now because who knows when this will end?”
The National Bureau of Statistics ,NBS, reports that the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas ,Cooking Gas, decreased by 22.32% on a month-on-month basis from N8,243.79 recorded in July 2025 to N6,404.02 in August 2025.
The report also stated that the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg Cooking Gas decreased by 21.42% on a month-on-month basis from N20,609.48 in July 2025 to N16,195.07 in August 2025.
NBS data shows that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased for the fifth consecutive month, dropping to 20.12% in August 2025 from 21.88% recorded in July 2025.
