• Nigeria’s cooking gas prices surge over 60% in October amid supply cuts
• NLNG maintenance, rising diesel costs, and naira depreciation drive spike
• Households shift to charcoal, raising health and environmental concerns
  

Cooking gas prices in Nigeria rose sharply in October 2025. Local media reported on Thursday, October 30, that the price of a 12.5-kg cylinder jumped to between 15,000 and 16,500 naira ($9.6-$10.6), up from 9,000 to 10,000 naira ($5.8-$6.4) in September.

In Lagos, the country’s largest city, retail surveys showed prices reaching between 2,500 and 3,000 naira per kilogram ($1.6-$1.9), compared with 1,200 to 1,400 naira (about $0.8) only a few weeks earlier.

Retail associations say the price surge comes despite the government’s renewed commitment to promoting clean cooking energy through its “Clean Cooking Initiative,” launched in 2024, which aims to equip 30 million households with clean cooking solutions by 2030.

Industry observers attribute the spike to several temporary disruptions. Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) confirmed it had cut liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) deliveries due to scheduled maintenance on Train 4 of its Bonny Island liquefaction complex.

Distributors also cite higher diesel prices and the continued depreciation of the naira, which have driven up transport costs and limited domestic supply, even as demand remains strong.

The surge has forced many households and street food vendors to switch to alternative fuels such as charcoal and firewood, raising new concerns among health and environmental authorities over indoor pollution and deforestation.

Abdel-Latif Boureima