Gas cylinders. Photo: BusinessDay
Cooking gas prices had risen from an average of N1,000 per kilogramme in January and February 2026 to as high as N2,400 between May and June.
People across parts of the country are beginning to experience relief as retail prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly known as cooking gas, decline following improved product supply and softer depot prices.
The latest market update from gas marketers showed that retail LPG prices have started easing in major cities after weeks of elevated prices, although the reductions have not been uniform because of varying transportation costs, distance from supply depots and retailer margins.
Findings by marketers indicated that cooking gas is now selling for between N1,100 and N1,350 per kilogramme in Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta, while consumers in Benin City, Port Harcourt and Warri are paying between N1,150 and N1,400/kg.
For Onitsha and Enugu, retail 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, Edu Inyang, told our correspondent that northern cities, including Kano and Kaduna, currently record prices of N1,300 to N1,550/kg, while consumers in Maiduguri and parts of the North-East still pay the highest prices, ranging from N1,350 to N1,650/kg, reflecting the additional logistics costs of transporting products to the region.
Overall, Inyang said the national retail price range now stands at approximately N1,100 to N1,650 per kilogramme, although some neighbourhood retailers continue to charge above the range where transportation and distribution costs remain elevated.
The improvement marks a reversal from the sharp increases witnessed from May, when supply tightness and rising depot prices pushed cooking gas costs significantly higher across several parts of the country.
According to the NALPGAM president, the latest decline follows improved product availability from both domestic production and imports, as well as lower depot prices. He also attributed the easing to increased competition among marketers and the disappearance of panic buying that had briefly tightened supplies.
“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,” Inyang said.
The development is expected to provide some relief to households grappling with rising living costs, although industry players noted that prices may continue to differ from one location to another depending on local distribution expenses.
Based on the prevailing retail prices, a 5kg cylinder refill now costs between N5,500 and N8,250, while a 6kg refill ranges from N6,600 to N9,900. Inyang said consumers refilling a standard 12.5kg cylinder are expected to pay between N13,750 and N20,625, depending on location and retailer.
Despite the improvement, marketers cautioned that retail prices are yet to stabilise nationwide, noting that communities located farther from major LPG depots may continue to experience relatively higher prices because of transportation costs.
Industry operators expressed optimism that sustained product availability from local producers, alongside steady imports, would further moderate prices in the coming weeks, provided there were no major disruptions to supply or logistics.
Also, the National Chairman of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Ayobami Olarinoye, told our correspondent that normalcy was gradually returning to the sector.
However, Olarinoye, whose members sell gas in neighbourhood shops, said they currently sell to consumers at prices ranging from N1,600 to N1,800/kg. “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.”
As cooking gas prices rose by about 140 per cent in many locations across the country, marketers finalised plans to import the product on a large scale to improve affordability and availability, as earlier reported.
Cooking gas prices rose from an average of N1,000 per kilogramme in January and February this year to as high as N2,400 between May and June. Consequently, the regulator began issuing licences for the importation of LPG. This followed the inability of local LPG producers to meet domestic demand, according to industry operators.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, intervened, warning operators against hoarding and profiteering.
