Nigerians are facing renewed economic hardship as the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, has surged sharply across the country, fueled by a nationwide shortage following a recent oil workers’ strike.
Prices have spiked dramatically in major cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt. Across many retail outlets, the cost of a kilogram of LPG has jumped from approximately ?1,000 to between ?1,600 and ?1,800, representing an increase of up to 80% in a few days.
- In Lagos and Ogun States, a 12.5kg cylinder now costs as high as ?26,000 to ?27,000 (up to ?2,200 per kg) in some areas, compared to roughly ?12,500 the previous week.
- In Abuja, refilling a 12.5kg cylinder now ranges from ?17,000 to over ?20,000, with many outlets completely running out of stock by Sunday.
The national scarcity was triggered by a three-day strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) last week, which disrupted supply and distribution networks. Although the strike—called to protest the dismissal of workers at the Dangote Refinery—has been suspended, the impact on supply has been immediate and severe.
Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, confirmed the link between the strike and the price hike. Speaking after a visit to President Bola Tinubu, Ojulari assured the public that the spike was “relatively artificial” and temporary.
“Because of that, you see that impact as things return back to normal,” Ojulari said, attributing part of the increase to opportunistic retailers and marketers who raised prices on existing stock. He expressed his expectation that “now that things are back to normal, prices should return back to what they were before the strike.”
Nigerians Lament Crisis on Social Media
The sudden increase has sparked widespread anger and distress among Nigerians, who are already grappling with high inflation. Many took to social media to vent their frustration, noting the devastating impact on household budgets and small businesses.
- On X (formerly Twitter), user @Mama_Tee wrote, “?1,800 for one kg of cooking gas. It was ?850 just a few months ago. This is completely unsustainable. How are households meant to cook? We are being priced out of basic living.”
- @SmallBizChef highlighted the impact on entrepreneurs: “My budget for my small catering business has been completely ruined. I can’t pass this cost to my customers. If this doesn’t ease, many small food vendors will close down. The government must stop this artificial scarcity.”
- User @AbujaWife questioned the government’s competence: “A three-day strike leads to a national commodity shortage and price hike this massive. What does that say about our national reserve and logistics planning? This isn’t just about the strike; it’s about fragility.“
- Others called out the repeated cycle of price shocks. @TheRealFemi commented, “Welcome to Nigeria, where every minor disruption equals a major price apocalypse. We barely recovered from the last hike, and now this. When will stability be a priority?”
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