Residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, are facing growing hardship as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, becomes increasingly scarce across the city.

Many households have been queueing for hours at gas stations since Friday after reports emerged of supply shortages affecting both wholesalers and retailers. Several outlets have stopped dispensing altogether, forcing residents to search across multiple locations to refill their cylinders.

Checks across different parts of the city, including Apete, Awotan, and Olodo, show that the price of LPG has risen sharply within days. At some depots, the wholesale price per litre now ranges from ₦1,000 to ₦1,100, compared to ₦900–₦950 previously. Retailers, on the other hand, have increased prices from ₦1,100–₦1,300 to as high as ₦1,500 per litre in certain areas.

In more remote communities around Ibadan, the price is reported to have exceeded ₦1,500 due to limited supply. At a BOVAS outlet in the Awotan area, a litre was sold for ₦1,070 as of Saturday, up from ₦970 less than three weeks ago.

Some residents attribute the shortage to ongoing disputes between gas tanker operators and suppliers, while others blame poor distribution logistics. “The queues are unbelievable,” said a resident in Apete. “We’ve never seen this kind of scarcity before.”

Retailers also confirmed the shortfall, saying most of their storage tanks were empty and restocking had become uncertain. “We sold our last batch at ₦1,400,” one seller said. “Right now, we don’t even know when next we’ll get supply.”

As of Sunday, the situation remained unchanged, with long lines at the few stations still dispensing gas. Residents fear the crisis could worsen if supply is not restored soon, especially as many depend on LPG as their main source of domestic energy.