The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has attributed the recent scarcity of cooking gas to a temporary disruption caused by a strike action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). According to the Group Chief Executive of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, the industrial action resulted in a halt in operations for several days, leading to an artificial increase in prices.

Ojulari stated that the increase in prices was temporary and attributed it to the delay in loading and distribution during the strike period. “The increase you saw was relatively artificial because for the period of the strike, movements and loading were delayed by about two, three days,” he explained. He added that as supply chains return to normal, the cooking gas price is expected to ease in the coming weeks.

The strike action by PENGASSAN, which began over the dismissal of Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery, was suspended on October 1 after the Federal Government’s intervention. However, the disruption had already led to a shortage of cooking gas in major cities, with prices skyrocketing. In Lagos, residents are now paying between ₦2,500 and ₦3,000 per kilogramme, with many filling stations and gas plants running out of stock.

Ojulari also accused opportunistic retailers of exploiting the shortfall to hike prices. “As you know, in Nigeria, people take opportunity. With that delay, some of the people who had existing resources and reserves had to put up the price,” he said. He assured Nigerians that as supply chains stabilize, prices should return to what they were before the strike.

The scarcity of cooking gas has affected many residents, with some expressing concern over the inflated prices. The situation highlights the need for a stable and reliable supply chain to ensure that essential commodities like cooking gas are available to consumers at affordable prices. The NNPCL’s assurance that prices will ease in the coming weeks is a welcome relief, but the company must work to prevent similar disruptions in the future.