Households suffer as cooking gas shortage worsens, price rises

The price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, also known as cooking gas, has increased to N25,000 this week from N17,500 the previous week.

Checks by Vanguard confirmed that the price of 1kg currently retails at between N1, 500 and N2, 000, depending on the location.

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, NALPGAM, Mr. Bassey Essien, told Vanguard on phone yesterday that the distribution of the product was disrupted by the recent industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.

He said: “Dangote Petroleum Refinery is currently the highest local supplier of cooking gas in Nigeria. The crisis involving PENGASSAN scuttled distribution. Many dealers could not replenish their stocks during the period.

‘’What we are witnessing is a function of demand and supply. In practice, the demand for cooking gas is higher than supply. But supply would likely stabilise in the coming days, following resolution of the conflict.”