Nigerians are expressing growing frustration as the price of 12kg cooking gas has surged by 55% within the past year. According to recent reports, the cost, which stood at approximately ₦8,000 in September 2023, has skyrocketed to over ₦12,000 in many parts of the country.
This sharp increase is putting additional strain on households already grappling with rising costs of living due to inflation and fuel price hikes. Many families are finding it difficult to afford basic energy needs, and there are increasing calls for government intervention to stabilize gas prices and provide relief.The following is a data driven report on the hike in gas price in Nigeria.Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicates that the price of 12.5 kilograms (kg) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly referred to as cooking gas, has surged by 55.66 percent year-on-year.
The NBS reported that Nigerians paid an average of N14,261.57 to refill a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas in July 2024, up from N9,162.11 in July 2023.The latest LPG price watch report from the NBS for July showed a month-on-month decrease of 9.37 percent in the cost of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder. “The average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas dropped by 9.37% from N15,736.27 in June 2024 to N14,261.57 in July 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of 55.66% from N9,162.11 in July 2023,” the bureau stated.In its analysis by state, Gombe had the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at N15,872.22, followed by Yobe at N15,823.32 and Taraba at N15,625.00.
In contrast, Bauchi recorded the lowest average price at N13,314.47, followed by Enugu at N13,411.39 and Nassarawa at N13,413.81.The report also revealed that the north-east region had the highest average retail price at N15,075.16, followed by the north-west at N14,454.86 and the north-central at N13,611.68. Additionally, the NBS noted that the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas fell by 14.23 percent month-on-month, from N6,966.03 in June 2024 to N5,974.55 in July 2024. However, there was a year-on-year increase of 46.69 percent from N4,072.87 in July 2023.
In its state profile analysis, Borno recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at N7,088.59, followed by Yobe at N6,935.50 and Sokoto at N6,750.00. Conversely, Delta had the lowest price at N5,392.86, with Zamfara and Kogi following at N5,431.25 and N5,560.63 respectively. The north-east region also recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of LPG at N6,446.53, with the north-central region next at N6,042.33, while the south-south region had the lowest at N5,654.04.
