The cost of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas has climbed sharply to about ₦17,500 this week — a 34.6 percent rise from ₦12,750 recorded just a week earlier — following supply challenges linked to an ongoing industrial action in the oil and gas sector.

Investigations across several parts of the country show that the retail price of one kilogram of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) now ranges between ₦1,350 and ₦1,500, depending on location.

Speaking on the situation, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), Olatunbosun Oladapo, attributed the spike to the recent strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). He explained that the industrial action disrupted the supply chain, especially across the South-West region.

Oladapo noted that the suspension of loading activities during the strike caused scarcity, forcing many marketers to turn to alternative suppliers who raised their prices. He also pointed out that some marketers with pending orders from Dangote — a key player in the domestic gas market — have been unable to access products for over three weeks.

“Since Dangote has not released new loading invoices, our members have been buying from competitors at higher rates just to keep their plants running,” he said. “We appeal to Dangote to resume supply so that more marketers can have access to products, which will help stabilise the market.”

He expressed optimism that prices could ease once supply normalises and the strike issues are fully resolved.

Meanwhile, consumer groups have welcomed the recent removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on cooking gas, saying it could help reduce costs in the long run and boost economic activity once the supply situation improves.