Fast-rising cooking gas prices adding more stress to households

In the absence of curative measures to stem the rise, most households may have to consider heading back to the old days of firewood and charcoal for cooking.

Ayodele Johnson September 19, 2023

2 minutes read

In 2023, refilling a 12.5kg cylinder was predicted to reach up to ₦18000 by year-end but that didn't happen. A year later, that prediction is looking likely. [ — In 2023, refilling a 12.5kg cylinder was predicted to reach up to ₦18000 by year-end but that didn't happen. A year later, that prediction is looking likely.

By Ayodele Johnson

It appears that more burdens are lying ahead of Nigerian households because of the fast-rising cooking gas prices.

This could mean that the cost of refilling a 12.5 kg cylinder will reach ₦18,000 by year-end, according to the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers predictions.

Telling Punch News on Sunday, 17 September, the association’s president, Mr Olatunbosun Oladapo, attributed the shift to an “astronomically high” increment by terminal owners who also blame the FOREX crisis for the situation.

Recent changes have seen the selling price of 20 metric tons of Liquefied Petroleum Gas transition from an average of ₦10million to ₦14million, heaping additional burden on already overburdened consumers contending with steep monthly transportation bills.

Things will become extreme if the central authority does not act quickly.

“There is a ridiculous hike in gas prices going on right now, and I am afraid that if the Federal Government does not step in to checkmate the activities of these terminal owners, price could reach as high as ₦18million per metric ton by December. This means that a 12.5kg could go as high as ₦18,000,” says Mr Oladapo.

Households struggling with dwindling income are in need of cheap energy sources not expensive ones. [NLNG]

In the absence of curative measures to stem the rise, most households may have to consider heading back to the old days of firewood and charcoal, which will lead to further carbon emission and air pollution in the environment.

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Hoping to shield his organisation as the reason for bringing this about, the gas marketers’ representative said: “The increase in price that would take effect is not the fault of retailers. It is the fault of NLNG and terminal owners. Even NNPCL is hiding under the guise that they are now privatised to increase prices. As of last week, 1kg was ₦800 at the terminal, now it is ₦1,200, and could reach ₦1,500 by December if care is not taken.”

On the other side of the aisle, the gas terminal operators are pointing fingers at foreign exchange access and crude oil price increases for the dilemma.

This latest development is counterproductive based on the federal government’s efforts at presenting a bulk of palliatives to the citizens. Both the central and sub-national entities have been working on avenues to tame the burdens arising from the removal of petrol subsidies on the populace.

They have considered the distribution of grain and have subsidised transport fares but it is apparent that more needs to be done.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.