The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has linked the recent scarcity of cooking gas to a temporary disruption caused by a strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). Group Chief Executive Bayo Ojulari explained that the industrial action halted operations for several days, creating an artificial rise in prices. “The increase you saw was relatively artificial because, for the period of the strike, movements and loading were delayed by about two or three days,” he said, adding that the price surge is expected to ease as supply chains return to normal in the coming weeks.
The PENGASSAN strike began over the dismissal of Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery and was suspended on 1 October after federal government intervention. However, the disruption had already caused a shortage of cooking gas in major cities, with prices soaring. In Lagos, residents are now paying between ₦2,500 and ₦3,000 per kilogram, and many filling stations and gas plants have run out of stock. Ojulari accused opportunistic retailers of exploiting the shortfall to hike prices, noting, “In Nigeria, people take opportunity. With that delay, some of the people who had existing resources and reserves had to put up the price.”
The scarcity has affected many residents, prompting concerns over inflated costs and underscoring the need for a stable, reliable supply chain for essential commodities like cooking gas. While NNPCL’s assurance that prices will ease in the coming weeks offers some relief, the company must work to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
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