KEY POINTS
- Cooking gas prices have nearly doubled in Nigeria, with a 12.5kg cylinder now costing over ₦25,000, placing additional pressure on households and businesses.
- Industry stakeholders blame supply disruptions, import dependence, foreign exchange challenges, and logistics costs for the sharp increase.
- Experts and marketers are urging the government to boost local production, improve distribution infrastructure, and implement policies to stabilise prices.
Millions of Nigerians are facing increased financial pressure following a sharp rise in the price of cooking gas, a development that has further deepened the country’s cost-of-living crisis.
The latest increase came as households prepared for the Eid al-Kabir celebrations, forcing many families and small businesses to spend significantly more on a basic household necessity.
Cooking gas, which sold for about ₦1,050 per kilogramme earlier this year, now costs between ₦2,000 and ₦2,200 per kilogramme in many parts of the country. As a result, refilling a standard 12.5kg cylinder now costs more than ₦25,000, a substantial burden in a country where the national minimum wage stands at ₦70,000 per month.
The surge in cooking gas prices has affected households, restaurants, food vendors, and small businesses that rely heavily on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for daily operations.
For low-income families already struggling with rising food prices, transportation costs, electricity tariffs, and fuel expenses, the increase has further stretched household budgets.
Industry stakeholders warn that if the trend continues, many Nigerians may be forced to abandon cooking gas and return to cheaper but less environmentally friendly alternatives such as firewood, charcoal, and kerosene.
Nigeria’s Gas Wealth Contrasts With Market Reality
The current situation has raised questions about why a country with one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves continues to struggle with cooking gas affordability.
Nigeria possesses approximately 210.54 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, ranking among the top gas-producing nations globally. Despite this abundance, the country still depends heavily on imported LPG to meet domestic demand.
Available industry data indicates that local cooking gas supply ranges between 3,300 and 4,500 tonnes daily. However, domestic production remains insufficient to fully satisfy national consumption needs, forcing Nigeria to import nearly half of its LPG requirements.
Experts warn that rising cooking gas prices could reverse years of progress in promoting clean cooking energy across the country.
Millions of Nigerians still rely on traditional cooking fuels such as firewood and charcoal. Health experts have repeatedly linked these fuels to dangerous indoor air pollution, respiratory illnesses, and premature deaths.
Environmental advocates also caution that increased dependence on firewood could accelerate deforestation, desertification, and environmental degradation, particularly in vulnerable communities.
The return to dirty cooking fuels would undermine national and international efforts aimed at expanding access to clean energy and reducing carbon emissions
