LPG price spike pushing Nigerians into energy poverty, unsafe cooking –NALPGAM

…Laments N1,500/kg price

By Adewale Sanyaolu

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has raised the alarm over the worsening cooking gas crisis in Nigeria.

The association warned that the sharp and unexplained increase in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG),otherwise called cooking gas is pushing millions of households deeper into hardship and forcing many Nigerians back to dangerous traditional cooking fuels.

In a statement jointly signed by the National President of NALPGAM, Mr. Edu Inyang and the Executive Secretary, Bassey Essien, the association described the current market situation as sad, pathetic and dangerous.

The association noted that cooking gas, which ought to be a basic social commodity, now sells at over N1,500 per kilogram across the country.

The marketers disclosed that operators are currently paying between N25.2 million and N26.2 million for a 20-metric-tonne truckload of LPG depending on location, a development they said has triggered severe price hikes nationwide and placed unbearable pressure on consumers.

According to the association, the rising cost of cooking gas is already inflicting devastating consequences on ordinary Nigerians, particularly low-income families, food vendors, small businesses and urban households that rely on LPG for daily cooking and survival.

NALPGAM further warned that if urgent intervention is not taken, public frustration may escalate into unrest directed at gas retailers, as consumers increasingly struggle to afford refills.

The association stressed that the worsening supply shortages, soaring depot prices, logistics bottlenecks and escalating operational costs are threatening years of progress made in Nigeria’s clean energy transition campaign.

It noted that millions of Nigerians who embraced LPG following government-backed awareness campaigns and investments are now being priced out of the market, with many households reverting to firewood and charcoal despite the attendant health, environmental and safety risks.

“The gains achieved in promoting clean cooking energy are now under serious threat,” the statement said.

“Households cannot refill cylinders, small businesses are struggling to survive, and vulnerable families are returning to firewood and charcoal with dire health and environmental consequences.”

NALPGAM stressed that the crisis extends beyond domestic cooking challenges, warning that sustained increases in LPG prices could worsen food inflation, destroy small-scale LPG businesses, trigger job losses, reduce investor confidence and undermine Nigeria’s climate and clean energy commitments.

The association, therefore, called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), NNPC Limited, domestic producers, depot owners and international suppliers to urgently coordinate efforts to stabilise supply and pricing across the country.

Among its recommendations, NALPGAM urged the government to increase domestic LPG allocation to the Nigerian market, eliminate bottlenecks affecting importation and distribution, ensure transparent supply across regions, invest in storage infrastructure and implement measures aimed at protecting consumers from excessive price increases.

The association reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with government agencies, regulators and industry stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions capable of restoring affordability and ensuring stable LPG supply nationwide.

“We cannot stand by and watch millions of Nigerian families suffer in silence while access to clean cooking energy becomes increasingly unaffordable,”.

“For years, government and industry players worked hard to move Nigerians away from unsafe fuels. Those gains are now being reversed. Decisive intervention is needed now before the situation deteriorates further.”