The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has raised concerns over the rising cost and erratic supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, warning that the worsening situation could trigger scarcity and deepen economic hardship for millions of Nigerians.
The association disclosed that cooking gas prices have surged beyond ₦1,500 per kilogramme in several parts of the country, while marketers now pay between ₦25.2 million and ₦26.2 million for 20 metric tonnes of LPG depending on location and supply conditions.
Retail prices in some areas have reportedly climbed to between ₦1,600 and ₦2,000 per kilogramme, placing the product increasingly beyond the reach of low-income households and small businesses.
A market survey conducted on Sunday confirmed that LPG prices, which recently sold below ₦1,000 per kilogramme in many locations, have sharply increased nationwide amid persistent supply challenges.
In a statement jointly signed by NALPGAM National President, Edu Inyang, and the Executive Secretary, Mr. Bassey Essien, the association described the situation as “sad and rather very pathetic,” warning that mounting public frustration could escalate if urgent interventions are not introduced.
“The citizens of Nigeria have woken up to buy cooking gas, which should be a social item, at a prohibitive cost of over ₦1,500 per kg, while the marketers are made to pay as much as ₦25,200,000 or, depending on the location, ₦26,200,000 for 20 metric tonnes of cooking gas.
“We feel that if the situation is not immediately checked, the citizens may rise against the owners of gas filling stations,” the association stated.
NALPGAM said the worsening LPG market conditions were already affecting millions of households, roadside food vendors, restaurants, bakeries, and other small-scale businesses that rely heavily on cooking gas for daily operations.
According to the marketers, the crisis threatens to reverse years of progress made under Nigeria’s clean energy transition agenda, which encouraged households to move away from firewood, charcoal, and kerosene toward cleaner cooking alternatives.
The association explained that its members across the country were currently grappling with severe supply shortages, rising depot prices, logistics difficulties, and escalating operational costs.
“We observe that where product is available, it is sold at rates far beyond the reach of average Nigerians,” the group added.
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NALPGAM warned that many vulnerable households were already abandoning LPG usage and returning to firewood and charcoal due to the high cost of refilling cylinders.
The association said this trend could worsen environmental degradation, increase deforestation, and expose families to serious health risks associated with smoke inhalation from traditional cooking fuels.
“While millions of Nigerians have embraced cooking gas as a result of the national clean energy transition agenda, it is sad to state that those gains are at risk as households are struggling to refill cylinders, small businesses are folding under rising energy costs, while many families are reverting to firewood and charcoal despite the serious implications for public health, environmental degradation, and deforestation,” the statement read.
The marketers further warned that continued instability in the LPG sector could fuel food inflation, trigger job losses among small-scale LPG retailers, discourage investments in the energy sector, and undermine Nigeria’s climate and clean energy commitments.
NALPGAM therefore called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), terminal operators, domestic producers, and international suppliers to urgently intervene to stabilise supply and pricing.
Among its recommendations, the association demanded increased domestic LPG allocation to the local market, improved transparency in product distribution, reduction of importation bottlenecks, investment in storage and distribution infrastructure, and policies aimed at making cooking gas more affordable and sustainable.
“We cannot stand by and watch millions of Nigerian families suffer in silence while access to clean cooking energy becomes increasingly difficult and unaffordable,” the marketers stated.
“For years, the government and industry operators have worked to move Nigerians away from unsafe fuels. Those gains are now under serious threat.”
The association also pledged its readiness to collaborate with relevant authorities and stakeholders to develop lasting solutions capable of restoring stability to the LPG market and protecting consumers from further hardship.