Despite government data showing a decline in cooking gas prices, residents across Lagos and Ogun states are battling one of the steepest hikes in recent months, with households enduring long queues and soaring costs.
Recent figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that the average cost of refilling a 5kg Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder dropped from N8,243.79 in July to N6,404.02 in August 2025.
But market realities paint a starkly different picture. A survey by The Guardian reveals that retail prices have climbed alarmingly, with a kilogram of gas now selling between N1,800 and N3,500 depending on location.
For instance, in Ijeshatedo, Lagos, residents described their ordeal as “frustrating and exhausting.” One consumer recounted waiting for hours in queues, only to be charged N3,500 per kilogram by retailers, while filling stations offered slightly cheaper rates at N2,500 — but with hundreds of customers vying for service.
“I spent hours searching for gas yesterday and gave up,” she lamented, noting that many households are now weighing alternatives such as electric stoves or charcoal, despite their limitations.
Similar complaints echoed across Ogun State. In Atan, residents said they paid between N2,000 and N2,500 per kilogram, while in Igando, Lagos, consumers reported spending between N1,800 and N2,000. Many described the product as “both expensive and scarce,” turning a basic household need into a daily struggle.
The President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), Olatunbosun Oladapo, blamed the price surge on a temporary supply disruption. According to him, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) strike, alongside internal maintenance at the Dangote Refinery, distorted supply chains and pushed up costs.
Oladapo assured Nigerians that the situation would ease once supply stabilises, stressing that the price hikes were temporary. But for now, thousands of households remain trapped between dwindling supplies, skyrocketing costs, and the uncertainty of when relief will come.
