Cooking Gas Prices Drop as Supply Improves Nationwide
Households across Nigeria are beginning to experience relief as the retail price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, declines following improved product supply and lower depot prices.
The easing of prices comes after weeks of sharp increases driven by supply shortages and rising depot costs, with marketers attributing the latest development to improved domestic production, increased imports and greater market competition.
Latest market data obtained from gas marketers indicate that retail LPG prices have started falling in major cities, although the reductions vary depending on transportation costs, distance from supply depots and retailers’ margins.
Cooking gas now sells between N1,100 and N1,350 per kilogramme in Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta, while consumers in Benin City, Port Harcourt and Warri pay between N1,150 and N1,400/kg.
In Onitsha and Enugu, prices range from N1,200 to N1,450/kg, while consumers in Abuja pay between N1,250 and N1,500/kg.
The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), Edu Inyang, said northern cities such as Kano and Kaduna currently record prices between N1,300 and N1,550/kg, while consumers in Maiduguri and other parts of the North-East still pay the highest prices, ranging from N1,350 to N1,650/kg, due to higher transportation and logistics costs.
According to him, the national retail price now averages between N1,100 and N1,650 per kilogramme, although some neighbourhood retailers continue to charge above the range where distribution costs remain high.
Inyang said the recent price reduction followed improved product availability from both local producers and imports, lower depot prices, increased competition among marketers and the end of panic buying that had temporarily tightened supply.
“Following reports of improved LPG supply and softer depot prices in late June 2026, retail cooking gas prices have started easing in some markets, although the reduction has not been uniform across Nigeria. Transport costs, distance from depots and retailer margins still create noticeable differences between cities.
“Overall, the national retail range is roughly N1,100 to N1,650 per kilogramme, with some neighbourhood retailers charging slightly above this range where logistics costs remain high. The recent easing reflects lower depot prices as supply improved, increased product availability from domestic sources and imports, reduced panic buying and hoarding after government market interventions, and more competition among marketers in major cities,” he said.
Industry operators said the development is expected to ease the burden on households struggling with rising living costs, although prices may continue to vary across locations because of distribution expenses.
At the prevailing rates, consumers now pay between N5,500 and N8,250 to refill a 5kg cylinder, while a 6kg cylinder costs between N6,600 and N9,900. Refilling a standard 12.5kg cylinder now costs between N13,750 and N20,625, depending on location and retailer.
Despite the improvement, marketers cautioned that prices have yet to stabilise nationwide, noting that communities located farther from major LPG depots may continue to pay more because of higher transportation costs.
They, however, expressed optimism that sustained supply from local producers, complemented by steady imports, would further moderate prices in the coming weeks, provided there are no major disruptions to supply or logistics.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Ayobami Olarinoye, said normalcy was gradually returning to the market.
He explained that neighbourhood retailers currently purchase LPG from plant operators at between N1,300 and N1,500/kg and sell to consumers at between N1,600 and N1,800/kg, depending on location and logistics.
“The inflow and supply are gradually getting back to normal. There is more availability.
“The price is also coming down gradually. As of today (Monday), we buy from between N1,300 and N1,500 per kg from the marketers (plant operators), depending on the locations, while we sell between N1,600 and N1,800 per kg to consumers. This also depends on the location and associated logistics,” Olarinoye said.
The easing in prices marks a significant turnaround from the sharp spike witnessed between May and June, when cooking gas prices surged by about 140 per cent in many parts of the country, rising from an average of N1,000/kg in January and February to as high as N2,400/kg.
The sharp increase prompted marketers to conclude plans to import LPG on a large scale after local production failed to meet domestic demand. In response, the regulator issued additional licences for LPG imports to boost availability.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, also intervened by warning operators against hoarding and profiteering in order to ensure improved supply and price stability.