NALPGAM kicks as cooking gas price soars to N1,500/KG

By Damilare Adeleye

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has warned that soaring prices of cooking gas across the country could trigger fresh hardship for millions of households and small businesses.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the association said the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, has risen from about N1,300 per kilogram to as high as N1,500 per kilogram in several parts of the country.

The marketers attributed the development to erratic supply, rising depot prices, logistics bottlenecks, and increasing operational costs.

According to NALPGAM, marketers are now paying between N25.2 million and N26.2 million for 20 metric tonnes of LPG, depending on location, a development they said is putting severe pressure on operators and consumers alike.

“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,” the association said.

The group warned that continued increases in prices could provoke public anger against gas retailers if urgent interventions are not introduced.

“We feel that if the situation is not immediately checked, the citizens may rise against the owners of gas filling stations,” it stated.

NALPGAM noted that the rising cost of LPG is already affecting millions of households, food vendors, low-income earners, and small businesses that depend on cooking gas for daily activities.

The association further warned that the crisis threatens Nigeria’s progress in promoting clean energy adoption, as many consumers are being forced to abandon cooking gas for alternatives such as firewood and charcoal.

“This sad situation has brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerian households, small businesses, food vendors, and low-income families who rely on LPG for daily cooking and livelihood,” the statement added.

According to the marketers, the current challenges are undermining years of investments and awareness campaigns aimed at deepening LPG penetration and encouraging safer cooking alternatives nationwide.

They stressed that many families are struggling to refill cylinders, while small-scale businesses are facing mounting energy costs that could force closures and job losses.

NALPGAM also warned of broader economic consequences if the crisis persists, including increased food inflation, reduced investor confidence, the collapse of small LPG retail businesses, and setbacks to Nigeria’s climate and clean energy targets.

The association called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, domestic producers, terminal operators, and international suppliers to urgently intervene in stabilizing the LPG market.

Among its recommendations were an increased domestic allocation of LPG to the Nigerian market, transparent distribution of available supply, a reduction of importation and distribution bottlenecks, strategic measures to stabilize retail prices, and improved investment in storage and distribution infrastructure.

NALPGAM reaffirmed its readiness to work with regulators and stakeholders to find sustainable solutions that would ensure an affordable and stable supply of cooking gas nationwide.

“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 association said.