Soaring Cooking Gas Prices Force Nigerians to Traditional Fuels

The escalating cost of cooking gas in Nigeria is creating significant hardship for consumers, particularly ordinary citizens. Many households are reverting to traditional cooking methods like firewood and charcoal due to the prohibitive prices, which have reached over N1,500 per kilogram.

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The citizens of Nigeria now have to buy cooking gas, which should be a social commodity, at a prohibitive cost of over N1,500 per kilogramme.

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) attributes the price surge to a combination of factors, including soaring depot prices, supply constraints, logistical challenges, and increased operational costs. Marketers report paying between N25.2 million and N26.2 million for 20 metric tonnes of the product. NALPGAM warns that this situation could trigger a social upheaval if not promptly addressed by relevant authorities.

This price increase is particularly confounding as official figures from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) indicate an increase in local gas production. Despite this, the cost of cooking gas continues to rise, impacting food prices and diminishing consumers' purchasing power. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has also expressed concern, linking the crisis to the devaluation of the naira and inconsistent government policies.

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The union has attributed the prevailing gas crisis to devaluation of the naira coupled with the inconsistent policy of the government.

The situation forces households, food vendors, and small businesses to reconsider their energy choices amid worsening economic hardship. While switching to firewood might seem like an alternative, it poses environmental risks, contributing to deforestation. Stakeholders emphasize the urgent need for a solution to mitigate the severe hardship imposed on Nigerians.

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While warning that many Nigerians could be compelled to drop LPG for traditional cooking methods, NALPGAM has noted that its rising cost imposes severe hardship on households, food vendors and small businesses that rely on cooking gas for their daily operations.