Nigerians are currently grappling with a worsening cooking gas scarcity in Nigeria, as prices of the essential household commodity have surged sharply across major cities.
Many gas stations are now either out of stock or selling at exorbitant rates, leaving families and food vendors struggling to cope.
Over the past week, the price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder has skyrocketed from N17,500 to N25,000, while a kilogram now sells between N1,500 and N2,000 depending on location.
The sudden hike has sparked frustration among consumers already burdened by rising living costs and inflation.
According to the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), Bassey Essien, the disruption in gas supply was largely caused by the recent strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery is currently the highest local supplier of cooking gas in Nigeria.
The crisis involving PENGASSAN scuttled distribution.
Many dealers could not replenish their stocks during the period,” Essien explained in a chat with Vanguard.
He added that the shortage was a result of simple market dynamics.
“What we are witnessing is a function of demand and supply. In practice, the demand for cooking gas is higher than supply. But supply would likely stabilise in the coming days, following resolution of the conflict,” he said.
However, many Nigerians fear the situation may persist longer, as retailers continue to complain of difficulties in sourcing the product from depots.
Some gas plant operators have even temporarily shut down operations, citing supply uncertainty and unstable depot prices.
In addition, reports indicate that distribution channels remain constrained, with delays in logistics and loading times at key supply terminals.
This has further worsened availability in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
Furthermore, small-scale vendors and food sellers have been hit hard by the sharp increase.
The federal government is yet to issue an official statement on the crisis, but stakeholders are calling for urgent intervention to restore normal supply and stabilise prices.
