Nigerians are beginning to experience relief as the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, continues to decline across the country after months of steep increases that forced many households to switch to alternative cooking fuels.
The latest price reduction comes after cooking gas surged from between ₦900 and ₦1,000 per kilogramme in April to as high as ₦2,000–₦2,500 per kilogramme in June in several parts of the country, including Lagos, while prices climbed to about ₦2,400 per kilogramme in Ibadan and other cities.
The sharp increase had compelled many consumers to abandon cooking gas in favour of charcoal, firewood and other cheaper alternatives.
However, recent market checks indicate that retail prices have dropped significantly, with cooking gas now selling for between ₦1,100 and ₦1,500 per kilogramme in many parts of Nigeria.
Current market prices show that consumers in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin, Warri and Onitsha now pay between ₦1,250 and ₦1,500 per kilogramme. In Kano and Kaduna, prices range from ₦1,150 to ₦1,450 per kilogramme, while residents of Maiduguri and other parts of the North-East continue to pay the highest rates, reaching as much as ₦1,650 per kilogramme due to higher transportation and logistics costs.
Confirming the development, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Edu Inyang, said the national retail price currently ranges between ₦1,100 and ₦1,650 per kilogramme.
According to him, the price reduction was driven by lower depot prices following improved supply, increased availability of locally produced and imported LPG, reduced panic buying after government interventions and growing competition among marketers across major cities.
“The reduction is largely due to improved product availability from both domestic production and imports, lower depot prices, reduced hoarding and increased competition among marketers,” he said.
Consumers have welcomed the development, describing it as much-needed relief after weeks of paying record prices.
A civil servant, Serifat Ayeni, said the decline would enable her family to return to using cooking gas after temporarily switching to charcoal because of the high cost.
“It is a welcome relief for me and my family. We can finally move away from charcoal, which we were forced to use because of the previous prices,” she said.
She, however, urged the government to pursue further reductions.
“I still believe prices should come down to around ₦700 per kilogramme or even lower in line with the government’s campaign to increase LPG consumption. Nigeria has enough gas resources to make that possible,” she added.
The recent decline follows measures introduced by the Federal Government to stabilise the domestic LPG market after prices surged sharply in recent months.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, recently directed security agencies and regulators to clamp down on hoarding, illegal diversion and speculative storage of cooking gas.
The minister announced that the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force would collaborate to curb practices contributing to artificial price increases.
He also instructed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to intensify market surveillance, improve transparency in product distribution and eliminate artificial scarcity.
Ekpo disclosed that marketers had agreed to increase imports where necessary, while additional domestic supplies, including output from the Seplat gas facility, are expected to boost availability in the coming weeks.
The minister also revealed that the government is exploring a local LPG blending initiative involving Nigeria LNG Limited, local producers and the Port Harcourt plant operator to reduce dependence on imports, lower logistics costs and ensure more stable pricing.
He urged marketers to import additional volumes where required, avoid speculative hoarding and price products responsibly, while transporters were directed to improve product distribution and eliminate delivery bottlenecks to sustain the recent price reductions.
Industry stakeholders believe that if supply continues to improve and government interventions remain effective, cooking gas prices could remain relatively stable in the coming months, providing much-needed relief for millions of Nigerian households….See More
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