Households across several parts of Nigeria are beginning to enjoy some relief as the retail price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, declines following improved product supply and lower depot prices, DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS reports.
The latest market updates from gas marketers indicate that retail LPG prices have started falling in major cities after weeks of high prices. However, the reductions vary across the country due to differences in transportation costs, distance from supply depots and retailer profit margins.
According to market checks, cooking gas currently sells between N1,100 and N1,350 per kilogramme in Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta. In Benin City, Port Harcourt and Warri, consumers are paying between N1,150 and N1,400 per kilogramme.
Retail prices in Onitsha and Enugu range from N1,200 to N1,450 per kilogramme, while consumers in Abuja are buying the product for between N1,250 and N1,500 per kilogramme.
The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), Edu Inyang, told DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS that prices remain higher in northern parts of the country. According to him, consumers in Kano and Kaduna currently pay between N1,300 and N1,550 per kilogramme, while Maiduguri and other North-East locations record the highest prices, ranging from N1,350 to N1,650 per kilogramme, largely due to higher transportation and logistics costs.
Overall, Inyang said the national retail price currently ranges between N1,100 and N1,650 per kilogramme, although some neighbourhood retailers still charge above this range because of distribution expenses.
He noted that the recent decline marks a significant reversal from the sharp price increases experienced from May, when supply shortages and rising depot prices pushed cooking gas costs upward across many parts of the country.
According to him, the price reduction has been driven by improved product availability from both domestic production and imports, declining depot prices, increased competition among marketers and the end of panic buying that had temporarily tightened supply.
“Following reports of improved LPG supply and softer depot prices in late June 2026, retail cooking gas prices have started easing in some markets, although the reduction has not been uniform across Nigeria. Transport costs, distance from depots and retailer margins still create noticeable differences between cities.
“Overall, the national retail range is roughly N1,100 to N1,650 per kilogramme, with some neighbourhood retailers charging slightly above this range where logistics costs remain high. The recent easing reflects lower depot prices as supply improved, increased product availability from domestic sources and imports, reduced panic buying and hoarding after government market interventions, and more competition among marketers in major cities,” Inyang said.
The development is expected to ease the financial burden on households facing rising living costs, although industry stakeholders noted that prices would continue to vary depending on local distribution expenses.
Based on prevailing market prices, refilling a 5kg cylinder now costs between N5,500 and N8,250, while a 6kg cylinder costs between N6,600 and N9,900.
Inyang added that consumers refilling the standard 12.5kg cylinder should expect to pay between N13,750 and N20,625, depending on their location and the retailer.
Despite the improvement, marketers cautioned that cooking gas prices have not fully stabilised nationwide, noting that communities located far from major LPG depots are likely to continue experiencing relatively higher prices because of transportation costs.
Industry operators, however, expressed optimism that sustained product supply from local producers, complemented by steady imports, would continue to moderate prices in the coming weeks, provided there are no major disruptions to supply or logistics.
Also speaking with DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS, the National Chairman of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Ayobami Olarinoye, said normalcy is gradually returning to the LPG market.
He disclosed that neighbourhood retailers currently sell cooking gas to consumers at between N1,600 and N1,800 per kilogramme.
“The inflow and supply are gradually getting back to normal. There is more availability.
“The price is also coming down gradually. As of today (Monday), we buy from between N1,300 and N1,500 per kilogramme from marketers (plant operators), depending on the location, while we sell between N1,600 and N1,800 per kilogramme to consumers. This also depends on the location and associated logistics,” Olarinoye explained.
DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS recalls that cooking gas prices surged by about 140 per cent in many parts of the country earlier this year, prompting marketers to conclude plans for large-scale LPG importation to improve product availability and affordability.
The price of cooking gas climbed from an average of N1,000 per kilogramme in January and February to as high as N2,400 per kilogramme between May and June, leading the regulator to issue import licences following concerns that domestic production was insufficient to meet national demand.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, intervened by warning operators against hoarding products and engaging in profiteering.
KUNLE ADEOLA
No comments:
Post a Comment