Cooking Gas Prices Soar Nationwide Amid Domestic Supply Shortage
- Nigeria’s cooking gas prices have jumped by over 800% in 10 years, rising from about N250/kg in 2016
- Despite having one of Africa’s largest gas reserves, more than half of Nigeria’s gas production is exported
- Rising global energy pressures, supply shortages have pushed the cost of filling a 12.5kg cylinder to about N30,000
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
The Nigerian cooking gas market is once again under pressure, with demand, supply constraints and export commitments pushing LPG prices to record highs, and placing further strain on the budgets of homes and small businesses.
In Nigeria, a decade ago cooking gas was a lot more accessible for many households; it cost students and low income earners about N250 to purchase a kilogramme.
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LPG prices are now about N2000 and above per kg in certain areas; this reflects an over 800% hike in the last ten years. Cooking gas rose from an estimate N600 per kg in 2018, before it breached the N1000 price point in 2023, and went on to hover at about N1400 per kg in 2025 and continues to hike further into 2026.
Despite owning the largest natural gas reserves in Africa, Nigerian homes can barely afford, let alone have access to gas. This is as Nigeria remains among the largest gas-holding countries globally.
Industry operators claim production volume isn’t an issue, but that the volume of gas made available for local use is limited, due to exports.
Why LPG prics is on the rise
More than 60% of Nigeria's gas was exported in the first three months of this year, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, with limited reserves made available to local businesses, power supply and households.
The situation has further been compounded by irregular supplies from the depot, high international LPG benchmark price and global energy markets, operator have argued.
The tension in global oil markets pushed prices up, further adding to the burden of energy supply chains worldwide and causing anxiety on the global availability of LPG due to interruptions along major shipping routes.
For the homes, within weeks, an additional N5,000 has been added on the cost of filling a 12.5kg gas cylinder from about N25,000 to N30,000, this has forced households to reconsider cooking fuels.
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BusinessDay reports that some households are now forced back to firewood and charcoal-an increase that is harmful to health, the environment, and Nigeria's climate targets.
Energy analysts have noted that despite export returns being crucial for Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings, the country needs to implement firm domestic supply obligations that will ensure homes share in the natural resources.
Chinedu Okeke an energy expert said:
"If they can reserve a part of gas production for LPG and power consumption locally, the price of gas would be lower."
10 states with highest, lowest cooking gas prices
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has published its Cooking Gas Price Watch for April 2026, showing a sharp rise in the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) across Nigeria.
The average price of a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas rose from N7,655.73 in March to N8,706.93 in April. This marks a 13.73 per cent increase month-on-month.
On a year-on-year basis, the price climbed by 10.42 per cent compared to N7,855.60 recorded in April 2025.
Source: Legit.ng
