Cooking Gas Prices Near N2,000/kg

The price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, is approaching ₦2,000 per kilogram in several parts of Nigeria as households prepare for the 2026 Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

The Federal Government has declared May 27–28, 2026 as public holidays for the festivities, but many consumers say the rising cost of LPG has dampened preparations.

A survey showed prices climbing from below ₦1,000/kg earlier this year to between ₦1,500 and ₦1,800/kg nationwide.

In Ogun border communities, consumers reported paying ₦2,000/kg, while prices in Lagos, Abeokuta, and Ibadan ranged between ₦1,600–₦1,700/kg. In the North, LPG sold for ₦1,800–₦2,000/kg.

One consumer, Borokinni, lamented: “One of the only ways the government can assist the masses is through affordable cooking gas, but Nigerian leaders don’t care.”

The hike is the first in 2026 and the second in seven months, following the October 2025 shutdown of oil and gas assets after disputes involving the Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) warned that erratic supply and rising costs could worsen hardship.

In a statement signed by Edu Inyang and Bassey Essien, the group said: “Citizens of Nigeria have woken up to buy cooking gas at a prohibitive cost of over ₦1,500/kg, while marketers are made to pay ₦25.2m–₦26.2m for 20MT of LPG.”

NALPGAM cautioned that the crisis is undermining years of progress in Nigeria’s clean energy transition. Many households are reverting to firewood and charcoal, raising risks of health problems, deforestation, and environmental damage.

The association warned that failure to act could trigger food inflation, collapse of small LPG businesses, job losses, reduced investor confidence, and setbacks to Nigeria’s climate commitments, urging urgent government intervention to stabilise supply and pricing.

Culled from The PUNCH