POLITICAL Economy

Gas Marketers Urge Urgent Government Intervention Over Prices

by admin on | 2026-05-25 13:34:26

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Gas Marketers Urge Urgent Government Intervention Over Prices

By Mohammad Bala Imam

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to urgently address the erratic supply and rising cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, in Nigeria.

In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Edu Inyang, and Executive Secretary, Bassey Essien, the association lamented that cooking gas considered a basic social commodity is now sold at prohibitive rates exceeding N1,500 per kilogram. It added that marketers currently pay as much as N26.2 million for 20 metric tonnes of LPG.

The association said the situation has imposed severe hardship on millions of Nigerian households, small businesses, food vendors, and low-income families that rely on LPG for daily cooking and livelihood.

“It is worrisome to state that this situation is seriously eroding the substantial progress made by the Government in promoting the use of clean energy in the country.

“Our members across the country are facing enormous challenges in sourcing LPG due to persistent supply shortages, high depot prices, logistics bottlenecks, and rising operational costs.

“Even where the product is available, it is sold at rates far beyond the reach of average Nigerians,” the association stated.

NALPGAM further disclosed that the crisis is undermining years of progress driven by Federal Government policies, public-private investments, and awareness campaigns aimed at deepening LPG penetration and promoting clean cooking energy as a safer alternative to kerosene, charcoal, and firewood.

The association expressed concern that despite increased adoption of cooking gas under Nigeria’s clean energy transition agenda, these gains are now under serious threat. It noted that many households are struggling to refill cylinders, while small businesses are folding under rising energy costs.

As a result, several families are reverting to firewood and charcoal, despite the associated risks of environmental degradation, deforestation, and public health concerns.

On the broader socioeconomic implications, NALPGAM warned that without urgent and coordinated intervention, the crisis could worsen food inflation, lead to the collapse of small-scale LPG retail businesses, trigger job losses, reduce investor confidence, and undermine Nigeria’s clean energy and climate commitments.

The association therefore called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), NNPC Ltd, domestic producers, terminal operators, international suppliers, and other key stakeholders in the LPG value chain to take immediate and coordinated steps to stabilise the market before the situation deteriorates further.