Residents of Abuja are facing difficulties due to the persistent shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas, which has been accompanied by a nationwide price increase. In recent weeks, cooking gas prices have skyrocketed, selling for between N1,200 and N2,000 per kilogramme in Abuja, Lagos, and other parts of the country. This means that a 12.5 kilogramme cylinder costs between N15,000 and N25,000 for residents in areas such as Kubwa, Lugbe, Dutse, Nyanya, and surrounding areas.
The prices vary depending on the location and vendor, with some filling stations like the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NIPCO, and AYM Shafa Energy selling cooking gas for N1,200 per kg, while other marketing agents sell it for between N1,500 and N2,000 per kg. As of Saturday, October 18, 2025, only a few gas filling stations in Abuja were dispensing the product. Checks on LPG depot prices revealed that only NAVGAS, Matrix, NIPCO, and Shafa Energy had cooking gas available at N18,500 for 20 metric tonnes as of Sunday, October 19, 2025.
Residents have expressed frustration over the scarcity and high prices of cooking gas. Bello Abdullahi, a resident of Kubwa, stated that he had to buy gas at N2,000 per kg after being unable to find any filling stations selling it at the lower price of N1,200 per kg. Similarly, Rita Nwagwu, a resident of Dutse, expressed frustration at the scarcity and high price of cooking gas, stating that she had to use a bike to search for vendors selling gas and eventually bought it at Zone 6 for N2,000 per kg.
The situation is not unique to Abuja, as residents of Lagos have also complained about the cooking gas scarcity and price hike in the state. Stakeholders have attributed the scarcity and price hike to various factors, including a strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association against Dangote Refinery, maintenance work at the Nigeria LNG Train 4 facility, and the entrance of the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery into the LPG market.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has promised to take action against marketers hoarding and inflating the price of cooking gas, but so far, no concrete actions have been taken, leaving Nigerians to bear the brunt of the high prices and scarcity. The ongoing shortage and price increase of cooking gas continue to affect residents, highlighting the need for a solution to address the artificial scarcity and price hike.