Nigerians are facing a severe shortage of cooking gas, as the price of the product has soared to unprecedented levels in many parts of the country.
A kilogramme of cooking gas, which used to sell for around N750 a few weeks ago, now goes for between N1,000 and N1,200 in some areas, according to Daily Trust investigations.
The scarcity and price hike have been attributed to supply disruption, as the vessel that was supposed to offload cooking gas in Lagos has not done so, according to the president of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALGAM), Oladapo Olatunbosun. He also urged the federal government to intervene and address the situation.
Daily Trust reporters who visited various gas stations in Lagos, Kano and other states observed long queues of customers with empty cylinders, waiting for hours to buy the product. Some gas stations had run out of stock, while others were rationing the product.
In Lagos, a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas was sold for N12,000 at some retail stations, while a kilogramme was sold for N1,150 and N1,200 in Lagos outskirts like Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro, among others, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.
Some customers who spoke to Daily Trust expressed frustration and anger over the situation, saying they had to cut down on their cooking or resort to alternative sources of energy like charcoal or kerosene.
Mrs Suebat Ola, who came from Mowe, Ogun State, to buy cooking gas in Lagos, said she could not afford to pay over N12,000 for a 12.5kg cylinder. “I came all the way from Mowe to fill my cylinders because along our axis, it is sold at between N1,150 and N1,200 per kg. This is too expensive. I don’t know how long we would continue to spend this much buying cooking gas,” she said.
In Kano metropolis, a kilogramme of cooking gas was sold for between N880 and N950 at some gas stations, while others sold it for N1,000. The high cost of transportation due to poor road network and rising diesel price was blamed for the increase by some vendors.
The Kano State Secretary of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers of Nigeria (LIPGAR), Muhammad Omede, also cited “the difficulties usually encountered by transporters due to poor road network, especially the Lagos-Kano road” as a factor affecting the supply and price of cooking gas.
Some experts and stakeholders have linked the cooking gas crisis to the weak naira exchange rate, limited bulk storage capacity and scattered terminals across the country. They also called for more investment and regulation in the sector to ensure adequate supply and affordability of the product.
A gas retailer at Oshodi in Lagos, Chucks Okafor, warned that the price might increase further if nothing was done to address the supply disruption.
He said: “The current price stands at N1,100 per kg. Many people who come to my store are shocked by the prices. Many walk away unable to make a purchase. I understand their plight, but as a retailer, my hands are tied too”.
Mrs Adebayo Esther Aderonke, a Lagos resident, lamented that “Cooking gas has become a luxury we can barely afford. We used to cook three meals a day, but now we have had to cut back. It is disheartening”.
Chef Maya, a renowned restaurateur, who also decried the increase in the price of cooking gas, said: “Our menu prices have had to increase, and customers are noticing. We fear losing our regulars due to the rising costs”.
