Cooking Gas Price Jumps to N25,000 as Supply Disruptions Hit

The cost of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas, has surged to N25,000 this week, up from N17,500 last week.

Mr. Bassey Essien, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), told Vanguard that the spike was due to supply disruptions caused by the recent industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery is currently the largest local supplier of cooking gas in Nigeria. The PENGASSAN strike disrupted distribution, leaving many dealers unable to replenish their stocks,” Essien explained. “What we are seeing is a result of demand exceeding supply, but supply should stabilize in the coming days now that the dispute is being resolved.”

Vanguard checks revealed that several gas plants in Lagos and surrounding areas were shut down due to shortages, forcing consumers to move from one outlet to another in search of LPG.

Recently, Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, disclosed that the refinery is currently producing 2,000 tonnes of LPG per day, with plans to further increase output to meet national demand. Dangote also emphasized the need to transition Nigerians from firewood and kerosene to LPG for cooking.

“If distributors are not making LPG affordable and accessible, we’ll sell directly to consumers to ensure more households can switch to clean energy,” Dangote said, noting concerns over Nigeria’s energy poverty.

Before the Dangote Refinery ramped up production, the nation’s LPG demand was primarily met by NLNG Limited. In a recent statement, NLNG reiterated its commitment to providing clean and reliable energy to Nigerian homes through its Domestic LPG (DLPG) scheme, which has been supplying cooking gas since 2007.