The price of cooking gas has continued to rise since last week, reaching N1,650 per kilogramme in Lagos State and N1,900 in Ogun State, leaving retailers and consumers frustrated.
At retail outlets in the Ago and Festac areas of Lagos, the price increased from N1,450 to N1,650 per kilogramme.
Similarly, in Ota, Ogun State, the price rose from N1,650 to N1,900 per kilogramme.
The increase followed a 31.8 per cent rise in depot prices, which climbed from N1,100 per kilogramme to N1,450 within a month.
A retailer in Ota, Akin Adeleye, attributed the development to poor governance, describing it as a consequence of the Nigerian factor.
“It’s Nigerian factor. That’s the reason we are experiencing this hike,” he told THE WHISTLER.
He said the government was not doing enough to ensure the availability and affordability of the product.
Another retailer, Hope Odigie, said she could not explain the reason for the latest increase, describing the situation as frustrating.
“I can’t even tell the reason for the price increment. It’s frustrating,” she said.
Odigie said she was unaware of the latest price increase until she arrived at her supplier’s outlet to purchase gas for resale.
“I had no idea that the price has gone up when I went to buy for resale. It was when I got to the place I buy the product that I was informed that it has gone up,” she added.
With cooking gas prices continuing to rise, more Nigerian households may be forced to switch to charcoal, firewood and other polluting cooking fuels.
According to the International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED), nearly 100,000 Nigerians die annually from illnesses associated with exposure to cooking smoke, underscoring the need to accelerate access to cleaner and more affordable cooking solutions.
ICEED noted in June that reliance on traditional cooking fuels, particularly firewood and other forms of solid biomass, continues to expose millions of Nigerian households to harmful household air pollution.
Women, children and other household members who spend considerable time around cooking areas are particularly vulnerable to the health risks.
Beyond its health implications, continued dependence on traditional cooking fuels also affects household welfare, livelihoods and environmental sustainability, while undermining Nigeria’s climate goals.
