By Ademuyiwa Balikis
Cooking gas prices have doubled across Nigeria in recent weeks, deepening hardship for many households as scarcity worsens in major cities.
The sudden surge has pushed the cost of refilling a 12.5 kg cylinder from about ₦13,000 in August to between ₦17,500 and ₦26,000, forcing many families to ration usage or turn to alternatives like charcoal and firewood.
The situation has left several retail outlets without stock, while those still selling now charge between ₦2,500 and ₦3,000 per kilogram, up from around ₦1,000 to ₦1,200 just two months ago. In some areas, residents spend hours in queues hoping to refill their cylinders, as suppliers complain of limited deliveries from depots.
Marketers and consumers alike say the current crisis has made cooking gas increasingly unaffordable, describing it as a serious strain on household budgets.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has linked the sharp increase and scarcity to a recent industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). According to him, the strike disrupted loading and distribution for several days, leading to temporary supply shortages across the country.
Ojulari described the hike as artificial, noting that some marketers took advantage of the situation to raise prices unnecessarily. He assured Nigerians that supply was stabilizing and that prices should gradually return to normal levels as operations resume fully.
Meanwhile, consumers and trade groups have called on the federal government to intervene urgently, warning that prolonged scarcity could worsen the cost-of-living crisis. Many households, especially low-income earners, say they now view cooking gas as a luxury rather than a necessity.
