A scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly known as cooking gas, has ignited a hot topic across Lagos and other states in the nation. Our correspondents have unearthed the extent of this issue, with Katsina, Sokoto, Delta, Kaduna, and Kano all feeling the heat.
This culinary conundrum has been simmering since late last month, resulting in an unrelenting surge in prices, which has left consumers with a bitter taste. The flames of price inflation were initially fanned by gas terminal owners, who hiked prices by a scorching 66 percent in October alone. The cost of 20 metric tons of cooking gas skyrocketed from N10 million at the start of last month to a blistering N16 million by late October, even though the NLNG was supplying 20MT of cooking gas at N9 million.
Our market survey conducted over the weekend paints a scorching picture – 12.5kg of cooking gas now sizzles on the black market, fetching a searing price tag of between N13,500 and N14,000. Traders revealed that gas plant owners, struggling to secure ample supply, are now selling to them at N1100-N1200 per 1kg, making every drop precious.
From a piping hot June price of around N8,700 for 12.5kg, we’ve seen the cost boil over, reaching N10,200 in September and surging again on Saturday to between N13,500-N14,000. In a candid conversation with Oladapo Olatunbosun, President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, we learned that the situation in Lagos is no different. Olatunbosun, a gas plant owner himself, sells at N950 per 1kg, urging consumers to support those with gas plants to avoid additional profit margins added by non-plant retailers.
This gas drought also casts a shadow over Katsina, where a shortage first ignited about two weeks ago, with no official explanation offered. In Sokoto, prices have risen indiscriminately, while Kaduna residents scramble in search of the commodity, with a retail price of 5 kilograms soaring to N5,500. Kano, too, is feeling the heat, as the resurgence of cooking gas scarcity drives residents to panic buying.
An investigation revealed that in the wake of this resurgence, marketers have ignited price hikes, with a kilogram of cooking gas ranging from N850 to N950 at some filling stations. For those turning to the black market, prices are boiling over between N1,100 and N1,200 per kilogram.
In Delta State, the fire is fierce, as the price of cooking gas has soared to N1,100 per kilogram. The cause remains a mystery, even to gas dealers. Meanwhile, in Abuja, consumers aren’t encountering scarcity, but they’re cooking up a storm over a mix of liquefied gas and pure gas that doesn’t last as long as it used to. In Kwara, the situation is brighter, with gas available at most filling stations.
As the nation grapples with this cooking gas crisis, the Federal Government has ignited action by summoning the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The flames of hope are being fanned, with expectations of price reductions on the horizon, offering consumers a little relief from this culinary conundrum.