Cooking Gas Crisis Deepens As Prices Surge More Than 60% In One Month

Households Struggle as Cooking Gas Prices Climb Nationwide

Sharp Increase Sparks Public Outcry

A sharp increase in the price of cooking gas has intensified pressure on Nigerian households, with consumers across the country expressing frustration over what many describe as an unsustainable rise in the cost of clean cooking energy.

Market checks indicate that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, has risen by more than 62 per cent within a month. Retail prices that averaged about ₦1,120 per kilogram in previous weeks have climbed to as much as ₦1,800 per kilogram, while some supply-constrained locations now report prices approaching ₦2,500 per kilogram.

The development has added to existing concerns over inflation, food costs and transportation expenses, leaving many families struggling to adjust household budgets.

Families Forced to Cut Consumption

Across several cities, residents say the increase is changing daily living patterns and forcing difficult choices.

In Enugu, families reported that routine cylinder refills have become significantly more expensive, while low- and middle-income earners say the rising cost of energy is consuming a larger share of household income.

In Onitsha, some households have reportedly reduced the frequency of cooking, opting instead to prepare larger quantities of food at once in order to conserve gas.

For many consumers, the increase has become another symbol of the broader cost-of-living crisis confronting Nigerians.

Small Businesses Feel the Pressure

The impact is also being felt by small business operators who depend heavily on LPG for daily operations.

Food vendors, caterers and restaurant operators say higher gas prices are eroding profit margins and forcing upward adjustments in the prices charged to customers.

In Kano, food entrepreneurs expressed concern that continued increases could push many operators toward cheaper but less efficient alternatives.

Similarly, traders in Lagos noted that cooking gas remains a critical input cost and that rising energy expenses are gradually filtering into food prices and other consumer goods.

Economic observers warn that persistent increases in cooking fuel costs could contribute further to inflationary pressures in the broader economy.

Oil-Producing Communities Question Pricing Reality

In Port Harcourt and other parts of the Niger Delta, residents voiced concern that cooking gas remains increasingly unaffordable despite Nigeria’s status as a major oil and gas producer.

Some consumers argued that greater domestic production should translate into lower prices and improved access for local users.

Questions have also been raised about the effectiveness of supply and distribution systems, with consumers pointing to logistics bottlenecks and multiple layers of intermediaries as contributing factors.

Regulators Defend Market Reforms

Despite public dissatisfaction, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has maintained that competition within the downstream energy sector will eventually help moderate prices.

The regulator recently reviewed domestic gas pricing benchmarks, citing prevailing market realities and provisions contained in the Petroleum Industry Act.

Authorities argue that market-based pricing mechanisms are necessary to sustain investment and encourage long-term growth within the gas industry.

However, many consumers insist that the anticipated benefits of market reforms have yet to translate into lower retail prices.

Analysts Point to Structural Challenges

Industry analysts attribute the latest surge to a combination of factors, including foreign exchange volatility, rising global propane prices, transportation costs and inefficiencies within the supply chain.

Although domestic producers, including Nigeria LNG Limited and Dangote Refinery, reportedly account for the majority of national LPG supply, experts note that external economic pressures continue to influence market pricing.

The situation highlights the complex relationship between domestic production, infrastructure limitations and global energy market trends.

Clean Energy Faces Affordability Challenge

As prices continue to rise, energy experts fear that many households could revert to traditional fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene.

Such a shift would undermine efforts to promote cleaner energy adoption and reduce environmental and health risks associated with biomass cooking fuels.

For millions of Nigerians, the immediate concern remains affordability, as cooking gas increasingly moves beyond the reach of vulnerable households already grappling with rising living costs.