Nigeria’s Cooking Gas Prices Soar: Households Struggle as FX Crunch, Transport Costs, and Strikes Bite

Story written by Uzuh Rita October 8,2025

Nigerian households are reeling under the weight of skyrocketing cooking gas prices, with the cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) — popularly known as cooking gas — rising to unprecedented levels. The surge has intensified the country’s cost-of-living crisis, already driven by inflation, fuel costs, and the naira’s depreciation.

Across Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, and other major cities, consumers now pay between ₦1,500 and ₦3,000 per kilogram, up from an average of ₦1,200 just weeks ago. Many filling plants have run out of stock, while others are selling at inflated prices due to supply shortages.

Households Feel the Heat

For many families, the price hike has become unbearable. Doris Akintunde, a resident of Sangotedo, said she paid ₦1,500 per kg and considered herself “lucky” it hadn’t hit ₦2,000. “Normally, I buy gas for ₦1,000 to ₦1,300 per kg, but with this increase, it’s getting hard to cope,” she lamented.

Small food vendors are also feeling the pinch. Oluchi Phina, who runs a restaurant in Iganmu, said: “I bought gas for ₦1,500 per kg, but it didn’t last. Some vendors are even selling cylinders filled with air — we’re being cheated.”

In Abuja, Muhammad Turaki paid ₦25,000 for a 12.5kg refill, nearly double what he spent last month. “I had to skip buying petrol for my generator just to afford gas,” he said.

Prices Double Nationwide

A BusinessDay market survey shows the cost of a 12.5kg cylinder has surged from ₦14,000–₦17,000 in September to as high as ₦25,000 in some parts of Lagos, Ogun, and the FCT. In several areas, consumers queue for hours or travel long distances to refill their cylinders.

Social media users have also expressed frustration. “A 20kg cylinder that sold for ₦4,500 in 2021 now costs over ₦40,000. Nigerians are enduring too much,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Labour Strike and Logistics Bottlenecks

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited attributed the crisis to a recent PENGASSAN strike, which disrupted gas loading at major terminals — including the Dangote Refinery.

According to NNPC CEO Bayo Ojulari, the strike caused “temporary but artificial scarcity.” He added that normal operations resumed once the industrial action was called off.

However, marketers insist the root causes run deeper, citing foreign exchange volatility, rising transport costs, and poor storage capacity as structural issues that continue to distort LPG pricing.

Dangote Refinery Steps In

In a bid to ease market pressure, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery reduced its ex-depot price from ₦810 to ₦760 per kilogram. The refinery also warned middlemen against price inflation, threatening to sell directly to consumers if the exploitation continues.

The move is expected to stabilise supply, but industry players say it may take time before the price drop reflects at retail outlets.

Inflation and Energy Poverty Deepen

Nigeria’s inflation hit over 30 percent in September, with food inflation rising even faster, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The surging gas prices now threaten to push more households into energy poverty, as many revert to firewood, charcoal, or kerosene for cooking — reversing years of progress in clean energy adoption.

“If gas doesn’t come down, we’ll all go back to firewood,” said a Lagos resident. “Even charcoal is now costly because everyone is switching to it.”

Energy analyst Eyo Ekpo warned that Nigeria’s overdependence on imported LPG and weak logistics infrastructure make the market highly vulnerable. “Without resilient gas infrastructure and better pricing mechanisms, any disruption can trigger a nationwide crisis,” he noted.

Call for Long-Term Solutions

A coalition of respected Nigerians — including Bishop Matthew Kukah, Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, Atedo Peterside, Aisha Yesufu, and Arunma Oteh — has urged the government to strengthen industrial relations in the energy sector to prevent future supply disruptions.

They commended the peaceful resolution of the recent labour dispute at the Dangote Refinery and called for consistent dialogue between the government, unions, and energy firms to sustain industrial harmony.

For households like those of Doris, Stella, and Oluchi, the gas price surge has disrupted daily life and strained already fragile budgets. “If this continues,” said Phina, “I might have to close my restaurant — people can’t pay more for food, and I can’t afford to cook.”