The price of cooking gas per kilogram has risen to between N1,000 and N1,200 across the country amid concerns of a further increase due to product scarcity.
Marketers are attributing the scarcity to supply disruption, with the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Oladapo Olatunbosun, calling on the federal government to proactively check the price increase.
Olatunbosun blamed the scarcity of gas in some parts of Lagos on supply disruption, saying the vessel that was supposed to offload in the state had not done so.
He warned that the price of a 12.5kg cooking gas cylinder might soon hit N18,000 if the federal government failed to check the rising cost.
Olatunbosun said the volume marketers used to buy for N8 million is now sold for N14.5 million.
“Go to the North and the Far East and see what people are facing,” he said. “In some places, they are buying at N1,300 per kg because the cost of buying at the terminal has gone up at a very high rate. As of today, terminals are selling for N14.5 million what used to be about N8 million and N8.5 million.
“The supply has also been somehow epileptic. The vessel from NLNG went to Port Harcourt twice and that is the reason why there is a delay in Lagos. The vessel came back to Lagos two days ago. They just offloaded it and the quantity it brought was not that substantial. We are expecting it back in about a week.
“So, we are using this opportunity to call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the new Minister of Gas, to pay attention to LPG. LPG is a product that can serve all Nigerians, both the young and the old; everybody who needs gas.”
According to Olatunbosun, while some people blame the hike on the forex crisis, there is an element of profiteering in it.
“This is where the government has to beam its searchlight and caution all the players and also have a regular meeting with the terminal operators and off-takers on how we can protect Nigerians,” he said.
“The poor Nigerians are suffering; gas is getting out of the reach of Nigerians and it is not making life easy for anybody.
“We are not happy about that. As businessmen, we are suffering the cost of buying and the cost of doing business has also gone up. And the product is not all that available.
“So, while the government is tackling regular supply, it also needs to work on the major suppliers, the off-takers, so that a little of profiteering should be downplayed now to protect the poor Nigerians so that gas can be affordable.”
