Households across several parts of Nigeria are beginning to get some relief from soaring energy costs as retail prices of liquefied petroleum gas, popularly known as cooking gas, decline following improved product supply and lower depot prices.
The latest market update from operators showed that retail LPG prices have started easing in major cities after weeks of elevated prices, although reductions remain uneven because of transportation costs, distance from supply depots, and retailer margins.
According to the National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Edu Inyang, cooking gas currently sells between N1,100 and N1,350 per kilogram in Lagos, Ibadan, and Abeokuta. Consumers in Benin City, Port Harcourt, and Warri pay between N1,150 and N1,400/kg, while prices in Onitsha and Enugu range from N1,200 to N1,450/kg. Abuja residents are paying between N1,250 and N1,500/kg.
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Inyang said northern cities, including Kano and Kaduna, are recording prices of between N1,300 and N1,550/kg, while Maiduguri and parts of the North-East still have the highest retail prices, ranging from N1,350 to N1,650/kg because of additional transportation and logistics costs.
“Overall, the national retail range is roughly N1,100 to N1,650 per kilogram, with some neighborhood retailers charging slightly above this range where logistics costs remain high,” he said.
The latest easing in prices marks a reversal from the sharp increases recorded from May, when cooking gas prices surged in many parts of the country because of supply shortages and rising depot costs.
Inyang attributed the recent decline to improved product availability from both domestic production and imports, lower depot prices, increased competition among marketers, and the disappearance of panic buying that had briefly tightened supplies.
Based on prevailing retail prices, a 5kg cylinder refill now costs between N5,500 and N8,250, while a 6kg refill ranges from N6,600 to N9,900. Consumers refilling a standard 12.5 kg cylinder are expected to pay between N13,750 and N20,625 depending on location and retailer.
The National Chairman of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Ayobami Olarinoye, said normalcy was gradually returning to the sector.
“The inflow and supply are gradually getting back to normal. There is more availability,” Olarinoye said.
He, however, noted that neighborhood retailers still sell cooking gas at between N1,600 and N1,800/kg after purchasing from plant operators at prices ranging from N1,300 to N1,500/kg, depending on location and associated logistics costs.
The development comes months after the federal government stepped up efforts to improve LPG availability, warning operators against hoarding and profiteering as prices climbed sharply across the country.
Industry operators say prices could moderate further in the coming weeks if domestic production and imports remain steady and there are no major disruptions to supply chains or logistics operations.
