Cooking gas monthly price surge: Kano 20%, Benin 21%, Abuja 35%

Cooking gas has surged over 20 percent across Nigeria in less than a month, worsening a severe cost-of-living crisis that has left millions of Nigerians struggling with basic necessities.

A kilogramme of retail liquefied petroleum gas rose 20 percent in Kano, 21.4 percent in Benin (Edo state) and 34.1 percent in Abuja, according to surveys by Pluboard and News Agency of Nigeria.

In Benin, a kilogramme of gas that sold for N1,100 in January now sells for N1,400.

“We bought 50kg of cooking gas for N45,000 a week ago, but it has gone up to N60,000. In 2023 December, we bought 50kg cooking gas for N44,000,” vendor Ekata Ogieva told the news agency.

“The painful situation is that we can only get about 45kg of gas from the 50kg gas cylinder after sales, so we do not make enough profit.

“We are losing our customers due to the incessant hike in price of cooking gas. Some persons have resorted to firewood and charcoal,’’ she said.

In Kano, the same volume of gas which sold for N1,050 less than a month ago, now sells for N1,260, according to NAN.

“The price increase on a monthly basis is outrageous, government must act fast,” said a customer Musa Shanono.

A gas dealer, Saminu Dauda, attributed the price increase to shortage of supply and the naira exchange rate.

Another vendor, Garba Imam, said the hike had caused serious drop in sales because only a few people could afford the current price.

In Abuja, the price rose from N960 a kilogramme in January to N1,300.

Unprecedented hardship

Many households are finding alternatives in firewood, charcoal and kerosene powered stove.

Nigerians are grappling with the worst cost of living crisis in decades after the government scrapped fuel subsidy and devalued the naira, with inflation reaching a fever pitch in December 2023, soaring to a staggering 28.9%, the highest level in 27 years.

Naira fell to new lows on the official market on Monday, closing at ₦1534.39, according to FMDQ where the currency is traded.