Cooking Gas Dealers Increase Prices as 5kg Sells for N7,655 in March
- Cooking gas prices soar to N7,655.73, exacerbating household expenses amid rising inflation
- Kaduna leads with the highest gas prices, while Bauchi offers the lowest in Nigeria
- Economist blames forex volatility and global tensions for ongoing price increases in cooking gas
Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
Nigerian households are facing fresh pressure as the price of cooking gas continues to rise, with the average cost of a 5kg cylinder increasing to N7,655.73 in March 2026.
This was revealed in the latest Cooking Gas Price Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday in Abuja, showing a significant month-on-month increase of 12.60 per cent compared to the N6,799.18 recorded in February.
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On a year-on-year basis, the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder also rose by 4.55 per cent from N7,322.49 in March 2025, highlighting the growing burden on households already battling inflation and rising living costs.
Kaduna, Lagos among most expensive states
State-by-state analysis showed that Kaduna recorded the highest average price for a 5kg cylinder at N9,212.21, followed closely by Lagos at N8,909.73 and Taraba at N8,802.78.
On the other hand, Bauchi posted the lowest average price at N6,295.40, while Osun and Ondo followed at N6,457.35 and N6,598.10, respectively.
Across the geopolitical zones, the North-West emerged as the most expensive region with an average of N8,137.81, while the South-South recorded the lowest zonal average at N7,300.95. The North-East followed closely behind the North-West with N7,890.53.
12.5kg cylinder nears N20,000
The cost of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder also recorded a sharp jump, rising by 15.62 per cent month-on-month to N19,652.83 in March from N16,997.94 in February.
Compared to March 2025, the price increased by 6.48 per cent from N18,456.24, pushing the popular household size cylinder closer to the N20,000 mark nationwide.
Nasarawa recorded the highest average price at N23,418.12, followed by Kaduna at N23,030.52 and Akwa Ibom at N22,816.74.
Bauchi again posted the lowest price at N15,738.50, with Osun and Ondo following at N16,143.38 and N16,495.25, respectively.
Regionally, the North-West led with an average of N20,701.66, while the South-East recorded the lowest zonal average at N18,432.63.
Why prices keep rising
Economist Opeyemi Alabi attributed the sustained increase to volatile foreign exchange rates, rising transportation costs, and global market instability.
According to him, tensions in the Middle East, particularly the U.S.-Iran conflict, have pushed up Brent crude prices and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) costs globally.
“LPG is priced in US dollars, so naira depreciation raises landing costs significantly,” Alabi explained.
He added that even locally supplied gas from Nigeria LNG is tied to international pricing benchmarks, making consumers vulnerable to global price shocks despite domestic production.
Depots raise prices
Meanwhile, data from PetroleumPriceNG shows that depot prices also skyrocketed recently, with marketers increasing prices by 2.9%.
According to the data, Dangote Refinery has the lowest LPG price at N1,035 per kilogramme, Rainoil Lagos at N1,120, A.Y.M Shafa at N1,160, and NIPCO Lagos at N1,087.5, respectively.
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Source: Getty Images
Experts attributed the increase in the rise in crude oil prices to the continued blockage of the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Cooking gas price surges nationwide
Legit.ng earlier reported that the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, has continued its upward trajectory across Nigeria, piling fresh pressure on households already grappling with a high cost of living.
Recent market checks by Legit.ng reveal that depot and retail prices have risen sharply, with some plants increasing rates from N1,050 per kilogram to as high as N1,200 per kg, a N150 jump in a short period.
Industry players attribute the surge primarily to escalating global crude oil prices, which directly influence LPG supply chains.
Source: Legit.ng
