The price of cooking gas has climbed sharply across Nigeria, forcing millions of households to cut back on hot meals or switch to cheaper, less efficient alternatives like firewood and charcoal.
A 50-kilogramme cylinder that sold for around ₦25,000 months ago now costs between ₦55,000 and ₦65,000 in major cities, depending on the location and retailer. In Lagos and Abuja, the situation is worse. Some vendors are asking as much as ₦70,000 for the same cylinder, pricing the commodity out of reach for average families.
The spike has compounded the financial strain many Nigerians already face from high food costs, electricity bills, and transport fares. In markets across the country, traders who rely on gas for cooking and food preparation are passing the cost to consumers. A woman who sells pepper soup in Yaba, Lagos, said she now spends a third of her daily earnings just to refill her cooking gas.
Experts point to multiple factors driving the increase. The naira's weakness against the dollar has made imported liquefied petroleum gas more expensive. Domestic supply constraints, exacerbated by maintenance shutdowns at refineries and limited production from local gas fields, have tightened the market. Global crude oil price movements have also put upward pressure on gas prices, since Nigeria's gas production is tied to oil drilling.
The government has remained largely silent on concrete measures to address the crisis, though the Petroleum Ministry has promised to boost domestic gas production through the Domestic Gas Supply Obligation policy. Energy experts say the policy, which requires oil companies to supply more gas to the local market, could help stabilize prices if implemented aggressively. However, implementation has been slow and inconsistent.
Civil society groups have called on the government to remove the import tariff on cooking gas to encourage more supply, and to accelerate repairs at refineries that have been offline for months. Some have also urged the government to consider subsidizing gas for poorest households, at least temporarily.
Consumers and traders alike say they cannot wait much longer. If prices climb higher, many small businesses that depend on cooking gas will collapse, and families will resort entirely to alternative fuels that pose health and environmental risks. The government is expected to convene a stakeholder meeting in the coming weeks to discuss supply and pricing issues.
