After Brief Respite, Consumers Face Fresh Cooking Gas Price Increase

…Marketers link swinging price to infrastructure gap, demand, supply

BY NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja CHIKA IZUORA, ANDREW OJIEZEL, ABIODUN SIVOWAKU, OLAMIDE OJUOKAIYE, Lagos

After a brief respite earlier in the year, cooking gas (LPG) prices are climbing again across Nigeria, with households from Lagos to Abuja and beyond facing higher costs, patchy availability, and a market that industry leaders say will stay volatile until core infrastructure gaps are fixed.

Recent market checks and industry reports showed that retail LPG prices generally in the N1,200–N1,650 per kg range, but with sharp local spikes well above that depending on state, outlet type, and supply conditions.

Lagos: Retail between N1,250 and N1,600/kg, with some informal outlets at the upper end.

South-West (Ogun, Oyo, Osun): Around N1,150–N1,500/kg; Ibadan plants cited roughly N1,150/kg, while parts of Osun saw up to N1,500/kg.

South-South (Benin, Bayelsa, Warri axis): Roughly N1,200–N1,300/kg, tracking regional depot rates.

South-East fringe (Ogwashi-Uku, etc.): About N1,300/kg.

North-Central (Jos): Around N1,450/kg.

North-East (Biu, Borno): As high as N1,650/kg, reflecting transport and security-related supply frictions.

FCT (Abuja): Prices that had eased are back up, with some areas seeing prices as high as N1,700/kg.

LEADERSHIP reports that these renewed increases followed a volatile few months: prices fell sharply from June peaks (down as much as 39–40 per cent at one point) before climbing again in September as depot rates rose and global pressures returned.

Industry leaders, including the Nigeria Liquefied and Compressed Gases Association (NLCGA), point to structural—not just seasonal—drivers:

Infrastructure gaps: Nigeria still lacks sufficient LPG processing plants, storage terminals, bottling capacity, and last‑mile distribution networks to match demand, keeping the market tight and prices sensitive.

Even with more domestic refining (e.g., Dangote and others), crude is bought in foreign currency, so global oil and FX movements pass through to local LPG costs.

Global market pressure: International propane/butane prices and crude near US$100/bbl have pushed depot and import economics higher, feeding into retail.

Also supply deficit in LPG supply has been cited as regulators have flagged year‑to‑date LPG supply deficits (tens of thousands of metric tonnes), confirming that domestic production and imports have not fully closed the gap.

The Nigeria Liquefied and Compressed Gases Association (NLCGA) has said that Nigerians will continue to witness rising prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) because the government has not properly addressed key issues that would stabilise the price.

The executive secretary of the NLCGA, formerly known as the Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), the umbrella non-profit organisation representing stakeholders across the liquefied and compressed gas sectors in Nigeria, Lanre Bayewu, while speaking to LEADERSHIP on the frequent price fluctuations, said that the country is not adequately prepared to boost transition to the cheap and clean cooking fuel.

He said that Nigeria lacks processing plants and distribution facilities to meet the market’s demand.

According to Bayewu, it’s not enough to have gas in abundance, as in Nigeria, because that alone does not guarantee availability.

According to him, the basic processing capacity is essentially lacking, as are distribution channels that will guarantee availability and affordability.

He explained that even though Dangote refinery and others may be producing the fuel, that does not remove the cost of crude oil they buy in foreign currency.

He further stated that even if he gets feedstock locally, the dollar value is what he pays in local currency, and that is added to the end users.

However, Bayewu pointed out that what the country gains from such transactions is the foreign exchange used for the importation of the products.

“Especially these basic infrastructures are key to stabilising the price of LPG, and outside that, consumers will continue to witness frequent increases in price. This volatility is a function of market forces, which are outside the control of marketers and government,” he added.

Meanwhile, the rising cost of LPG, popularly known as cooking gas, is putting additional pressure on households in Lagos, with consumers paying between N1,250 and N1,400 per kilogramme at some retail outlets.

A market check by LEADERSHIP across selected locations in Lagos revealed significant differences in the retail price of LPG, with consumers paying more depending on the outlet and the product’s availability.

At a mobile gas station around Anthony, a kilogramme of LPG was sold for N1,250, while at Beesam, a consumer identified as Mama Joshua said she bought the product for N1,400 per kilogramme.

The difference means that a consumer buying 10kg of cooking gas would pay N12,500 at the Anthony outlet, compared with N14,000 at the Beesam outlet, representing a N1,500 difference for the same quantity.

For households using larger cylinders, the cost becomes more significant. At N1,400 per kilogramme, filling a 12.5kg cylinder would cost about N17,500, while the same quantity at N1,250 would amount to N15,625.

Hence, the fluctuating prices are adding to consumers’ concerns, who say they are increasingly having to adjust their household budgets to accommodate changes in the cost of cooking gas.

A Lagos resident at one of the filling stations visited, who identified herself as Blessing Njoku, said the price of LPG had become unpredictable, forcing her to set aside more money whenever she needed to refill her cylinder.

“The price keeps changing, and it is not easy for a family that uses gas regularly. You may have a particular amount in mind, only to get to the gas station and discover that the price has increased,” she said.

Another consumer, simply identified as Kunle, said consumers were now checking multiple outlets before buying to reduce the cost of refilling their cylinders.

“There is a difference from one place to another. If you have the time, you can check two or three places, but if the gas is finished at home, you have no choice but to buy where you find it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the price situation is also being compounded by availability challenges in some parts of the city.

At an outlet on Ashabi Cole Street, by Cadbury, there was no LPG available at the time of the visit, leaving consumers in the area with fewer options for purchasing the product.

In border towns along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, such as Arepo and Magboro, the price also varies.

At Conoil, Magboro, it is N1,900; at a newly opened pure gas station, Cosy Cookwave, it is N1,400; and at Julanky filling station at Arepo, it is N1,400.

However, for some residents, the combination of higher prices and inconsistent availability has made buying cooking gas an expense that requires additional planning.

A consumer identified as “Tolu” said she had started buying smaller quantities whenever she could not afford to fill her cylinder.

“Sometimes, you just buy the amount you can afford. You may want to fill the cylinder, but after calculating the cost, you decide to buy less and manage it,” she said.

While adding that the rising cost was particularly difficult for households with several dependents.

“Cooking is something you cannot avoid. Even when the price increases, you still need to buy it. The only difference is that you start looking for ways to make the gas last longer,” she said.

The latest prices follow a period of fluctuations in the LPG market, with retail prices moving up and down across locations in recent months.

Meanwhile, industry reports had earlier indicated that LPG prices in Lagos moderated from higher levels recorded earlier in the year before another increase was recorded in September. Market reports put the average retail price in Lagos at about N1,300 per kilogramme in mid-September, although individual outlets continued to sell at varying rates.

The disparity across outlets means the actual amount consumers pay can depend heavily on their location and the availability of LPG at nearby stations.

For Lagos households already dealing with rising food, transportation and other living expenses, the latest cooking gas prices represent another pressure on disposable income.

Critically, most consumers who bought at the visited filling stations are not refilling their gas cylinders due to price variations across retail outlets, as consumers say they are increasingly relying on smaller purchases, comparing prices and stretching the use of each cylinder to cope with the cost of cooking gas.

The National Bureau of Statistics has also recorded double‑digit monthly increases in the average retail price of a 5kg cylinder earlier in the year, underlining how LPG has become a major line item in household budgets alongside food and transport.

Stakeholders have consistently highlighted the same levers for a more stable, affordable LPG market:

Expand midstream infrastructure: More processing, storage, and bottling capacity to reduce bottlenecks and regional disparities.

Deepen distribution networks: More accredited retail outlets and safer, regulated last‑mile supply to reduce reliance on informal sellers who often charge more.

FX and crude cost dynamics: Any sustained easing in crude prices and FX pressure would quickly feed into lower depot and retail rates.

Coordinated supply management: Continued collaboration among producers, terminal operators, marketers, and regulators has previously helped trim prices from peaks and could cushion future spikes.

They maintain that until these structural issues are addressed, the nationwide pattern of rising prices, location-based gaps, and unpredictable availability would likely persist.