Prices of cooking gas have surged to an all-time high in Lagos, forcing households and small businesses to cut back as federal authorities order a clampdown on hoarders.

Across the city on Monday, a kilogramme of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) sold for between N2,500 and N3,000 a sharp rise from the N1,000 recorded in August.

The price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder has climbed to over N25,000 in parts of Amuwo Odofin and Surulere, according to spots observed.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, in a statement issued through his spokesperson, Louis Ibah, directed regulatory agencies to take “immediate action” against marketers hoarding or inflating prices.

“This situation is unacceptable. The government will not allow a few operators to exploit citizens,” Ekpo said, assuring that normal supply would resume within a week.

Officials blame the surge on two major disruptions — a recent strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at the Dangote refinery and ongoing maintenance work at the Nigeria LNG Train 4 facility. Both incidents have reduced the volume of LPG available to the domestic market.

Despite the strike being suspended nearly two weeks ago, supplies have yet to stabilise. Several gas depots in Apapa and Ikeja were still operating at reduced capacity on Monday, with tankers queuing for hours to load products.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed a contrast between current trends and earlier price declines. In August 2025, the average retail price of a 12.5kg cylinder fell by 21.42% to N16,195.07, before the latest surge reversed the gains. (The Guardian)