Yemi Obafemi
The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has raised alarm over a sharp increase in cooking gas prices across the country.
They warned that the situation is worsening access to clean energy and placing heavy financial pressure on households and businesses.
According to the association, retail prices have risen as high as ₦1,500 per kilogram, while marketers are now paying between ₦25.2 million and ₦26.2 million for 20 metric tonnes of LPG, depending on location.
“It is sad and rather very pathetic to inform the general public that the citizens of Nigeria have woken up to buy cooking gas, which should be a social item at a prohibitive cost of over N1,500 per kg, while the Marketers are made to pay as much as N25,200,000, or, depending on location, N26,200,000 for 20MT of cooking gas.”
NALPGAM warned that the situation is already triggering hardship for households, small businesses, and food vendors who depend on LPG for daily cooking, with some reportedly struggling to refill cylinders due to rising costs.
The association said the crisis is eroding gains made in Nigeria’s clean energy transition and could push many families back to firewood and charcoal, with wider implications for health, the environment, and deforestation.
“It is rather worrisome to state that this situation is seriously eroding the substantial progress made by the Government on the usage of Clean Energy in the country”.
The group further noted that the LPG market is becoming increasingly unaffordable where supply is available, warning that continued pressure could accelerate food inflation, cause job losses, and weaken investor confidence in the downstream gas sector.
NALPGAM cautioned that: “We observe that where product is available, it is sold at rates far beyond the reach of average Nigerians.”
The association is urging urgent intervention from the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and NNPC Ltd, alongside other stakeholders in the LPG value chain.
It called for increased domestic supply allocation, improved distribution, reduced bottlenecks in importation and storage, and stronger price stabilisation measures to ease pressure on consumers.
NALPGAM added that investments in storage and distribution infrastructure, as well as policies that support affordability and long-term market stability, are urgently needed to prevent further deterioration.
The association reaffirmed its readiness to work with government and industry stakeholders, stressing that urgent action is required to protect progress made in clean cooking adoption.
It further disclosed: “In conclusion, it is apposite to state that ‘We cannot stand by and watch millions of Nigerian families suffer in silence while access to clean cooking energy becomes increasingly difficult and unaffordable.
“For years, Government and industry operators have worked to move Nigerians away from unsafe fuels. Those gains are now under serious threat.”
