Residents of Abuja are grappling with a persistent shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, which has been compounded by a nationwide price surge. In recent weeks, the cost of cooking gas has skyrocketed, ranging from N1,200 to N2,000 per kilogram in Abuja, Lagos, and other parts of the country. Consequently, a 12.5‑kilogram cylinder now costs between N15,000 and N25,000 for residents of areas such as Kubwa, Lugbe, Dutse, Nyanya, and surrounding neighborhoods. Prices vary by location and vendor: some filling stations—namely the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), NIPCO, and AYM Shafa Energy—sell LPG at N1,200 per kilogram, while other marketing agents charge between N1,500 and N2,000 per kilogram.
As of Saturday, 18 October 2025, only a few gas‑filling stations in Abuja were dispensing LPG. Checks on depot prices showed that only NAVGAS, Matrix, NIPCO, and Shafa Energy had LPG available at N18,500 for 20 metric tonnes on Sunday, 19 October 2025. Residents have voiced frustration over both the scarcity and the inflated prices. Bello Abdullahi, a Kubwa resident, reported having to purchase gas at N2,000 per kilogram after failing to find any station offering the lower N1,200 rate. Similarly, Rita Nwagwu of Dutse described a desperate search on a bike for vendors, eventually buying gas in Zone 6 at N2,000 per kilogram.
The problem is not confined to Abuja; Lagos residents have also complained about LPG scarcity and price hikes. Stakeholders attribute the shortage and rising costs to several factors, including a strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association against the Dangote Refinery, maintenance work at the Nigeria LNG Train 4 facility, and the entry of the 650,000‑barrel‑per‑day Dangote refinery into the LPG market. Although the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has pledged to act against marketers hoarding and inflating prices, no concrete measures have been implemented yet, leaving Nigerians to bear the brunt of the high costs and limited supply. The ongoing shortage and price increase underscore the urgent need for solutions to address the artificial scarcity and escalating prices of cooking gas.
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