🔺 NALPGAM Blames Supply Disruptions, Market Exploitation for Soaring Cooking Gas Prices

Nigerians have raised alarm over the sharp increase in cooking gas prices, with a kilogram now selling for as much as ₦2,000—and in some areas, even ₦3,000.

According to the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), the spike is not due to any official price adjustment but rather temporary supply disruptions and opportunistic price manipulation by some marketers.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, NALPGAM National President, Oladapo Olatunbosun, clarified that there has been no formal increment in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). He attributed the surge to supply shortages worsened by the recent strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), which affected operations at the Dangote Refinery.

“I sympathise with Nigerians. Prices of cooking gas have not been officially increased. What’s happening is that some marketers are exploiting the shortage to make excess profits,” Olatunbosun said. “We frown at this as an association, and we expect normalcy to return in the next few days.”

Before the hike, LPG sold for an average of ₦1,200 to ₦1,300 per kilogram. However, recent reports show prices have climbed to between ₦1,700 and ₦2,000, depending on the location.

Olatunbosun explained that the situation is temporary and largely “artificial,” adding that the challenge began when the Dangote Refinery—previously instrumental in stabilising supply—embarked on maintenance and renovation works, delaying truck loading for up to two weeks.

He said the problem was compounded when marketers shifted to Apapa depots for supply, only for the PENGASSAN strike to halt vessel discharges and inspections, leading to widespread scarcity.

“Now that the strike has ended, product discharge has resumed, and trucking is ongoing. But because supply lines were dry for days, especially in the South-West where demand is highest, prices temporarily shot up,” he noted.

Olatunbosun revealed that Nigeria’s annual LPG consumption has nearly doubled in the past three years—from about 1.2 million metric tonnes to almost 2 million—making the market more vulnerable to supply interruptions.

He advised consumers to purchase gas directly from registered bottling plants to avoid inflated prices from middlemen.

“If you buy directly from gas plants, you shouldn’t pay more than ₦1,300 per kilogram. But buying from third or fourth parties extends the chain and drives prices up illegally,” he cautioned.

The NALPGAM president assured Nigerians that the association is working with relevant agencies to restore stable supply and pricing in the coming days.