Cooking gas prices surge despite rising domestic supply

Precious Anga

Lagos — Cooking gas prices across Nigeria have continued to rise sharply even as domestic production of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) increases and imports decline significantly, raising fresh concerns over persistent distribution bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the downstream energy market.

Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) show that local production from refineries and gas processing plants now accounts for the bulk of national LPG supply, reducing dependence on imported volumes over the past year.

Between April 2025 and April 2026, domestic LPG supply fluctuated between 3,300 and 4,500 tonnes per day, stabilising at about 4,500 tonnes daily in March and April 2026. Despite this improvement in supply, retail prices have continued to move in the opposite direction.

In several parts of the country, cooking gas now sells for as high as ₦2,000 per kilogramme, a steep increase from levels below ₦1,000 per kilogramme recorded in many locations just months earlier.

NMDPRA data also show a sharp fall in imports, with volumes dropping to about 200 tonnes per day in March 2026 from 1,600 tonnes in November 2025 and 1,500 tonnes in December 2025, confirming a clear shift toward stronger domestic supply.

Total LPG supply during the review period ranged between 4,200 and 5,200 tonnes daily, peaking in December 2025 before easing to 4,500 tonnes by April 2026, yet prices have remained elevated across markets.

Marketers attribute the continued rise to supply chain disruptions, uneven distribution networks and localized scarcity, which continue to affect product availability in several neighbourhood retail points.

The price pressure has forced many households to switch to cheaper alternatives such as charcoal and firewood, raising concerns over setbacks to Nigeria’s clean energy transition and worsening environmental outcomes.

At the same time, infrastructure data from the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) show major progress on key gas pipeline projects aimed at improving nationwide distribution capacity.

The Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline has reached 93.40 per cent completion, while the OB3 River Niger Crossing stands at 93.88 per cent. The ELPS Midline Compressor Project is 94.45 per cent complete, with other projects also advancing steadily.

NGIC describes these projects as “almost complete,” with expectations that they will significantly improve gas transportation once fully operational.

However, stakeholders warn that infrastructure expansion alone may not immediately ease prices unless distribution inefficiencies, logistics gaps and market structure challenges are addressed.

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has also raised concerns over rising wholesale costs and irregular supply, warning of mounting pressure on households, small businesses and food vendors.

The association said marketers currently pay between ₦25.2 million and ₦26.2 million for 20 metric tonnes of LPG, describing the situation as unsustainable and calling for urgent intervention to stabilise the market.

NALPGAM warned that without immediate corrective measures, the rising cost of cooking gas could undermine clean cooking adoption and deepen energy poverty across the country.