Key highlights
- Nigerians in the Southeast paid over N10,000 to refill their 12.5kg gas cylinders in February 2023, while Yobe, Gombe, and Borno recorded low prices for the same quantity.
- 5kg refill prices rose by 24.05% between February 2022 and February 2023, with Nigerians in Kwara state paying an average of N4,962.86, while those in Enugu paid the lowest at N4,179.41.
- Despite being an environmentally safe cooking fuel, the rising prices of LPG are making it difficult for many low- and middle-income households in Nigeria to consistently adopt it as their primary cooking fuel.
Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigerians in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Anambra states paid over N10,000 to refill their 12.5kg gas cylinders in February 2023.
According to the latest Cooking Gas Price Watch Report, there was a 37.67% increase in 12.5kg refill prices between February 2022 at N7,447.79 and February 2023 at N10,253.39.
The report stated further that people in Akwa Ibom paid an average of N10,879.50, those in Cross River paid an average of N10,803.57 while those in Anambra paid an average of N10,768.75.
The report also shows that some other locations recorded low prices. Yobe recorded an average price of N9,580, Gombe recorded N9,766.67 and Borno recorded N9,857.14.
Across the country’s geopolitical zones, prices did not show much difference as the Northeast recorded the lowest price at N9,801.46, Northcentral recorded N10,191.57, the Northwest recorded N10,185.14, the Southeast recorded N10,478.54, the Southwest recorded N10,332.65 and the South-South recorded N10,590.18.
5kg gas refill prices in February
Meanwhile, 5kg refill prices rose by 24.05% between February 2022 at N3,708.58 and February 2023 at N4,600.57. During the period under review, Nigerians in Kwara state paid an average of N4,962.86, those in Adamawa paid N4,914 and those in Niger paid N4,907.50.
Meanwhile, some states in the South paid the lowest prices during the same period. Those in Enugu paid N4,179.41, people in Rivers paid N4,204.44 and Abia paid N4,220.
Meanwhile, across geopolitical zones, there were slight differences in average refill prices. The Northcentral recorded N4,845.44, the Northwest recorded N4,629.19, the Northeast recorded N4,622.63, the Southeast recorded N4,428.97, the Southwest recorded N4,542.51 and the South-South recorded N4,460.67.
Clean cooking is still a pipe dream in Nigeria
Even though liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas has been touted as being environmentally safe and the cleanest of all cooking fuels available in developing countries, prices are currently making it difficult for many Nigerians to adopt the cooking fuel consistently.
A recent survey done by Nairametrics shows that many low-and middle-income households would rather make use of kerosene, charcoal (coal pots) and firewood and sawdust as cooking fuel at varying periods of the year.
Those who use cooking gas are lamenting increasing prices and some have adopted a system that works for them. Patricia Ene is a middle-income earner based in Abuja and her salary is less than N100,000 per month.
She is responsible for food purchases in her household for three adults and three children. She tells Nairametrics that when she needs a refill for her 12.5kg gas cylinder, she only purchases N5,000 as she cannot afford to fill up the cylinder, which costs as high as N11,000 in her location.
What you should know
The average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas declined by 0.23% on a month-on-month basis from N10,277.17 in January 2023 to N10,253.39 in February 2023.
- Meanwhile, the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas increased by 0.26% on a month-on-month basis from N4,588.75 recorded in January 2023 to N4,600.57 in February 2023.