Nigeria's cooking gas market is experiencing renewed pressure as retail prices fluctuate across the country, even as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) reports an average Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) stock sufficiency of 11 days.
LPG Records Lowest Stock Cover Among Petroleum Products
According to the NMDPRA factsheet for May 2026, reviewed by Petroleumprice.ng, LPG, commonly known as cooking gas, has the lowest stock cover among Nigeria's major petroleum products. While Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) maintained a 16-day stock sufficiency, diesel (AGO) recorded 31 days, and aviation fuel (ATK) posted an impressive 94 days, cooking gas had only an 11-day reserve. This highlights its vulnerability to supply disruptions and has raised concerns among marketers and consumers as demand continues to rise across homes and businesses.
Demand Outpaces Supply
A key finding from the report is the widening gap between LPG supply and consumption. Average daily LPG supply stood at 4,100 metric tonnes, while daily consumption averaged 4,500 metric tonnes, resulting in a daily supply shortfall of about 400 metric tonnes. This imbalance is occurring as several depots struggle with product availability, making it harder for marketers to maintain steady supplies. Industry players warn that the supply deficit, coupled with depot shortages, has increased pressure on prices and could trigger further volatility if replenishment does not improve.
Retail Prices Vary Across Locations
The NMDPRA data also reveals significant variations in cooking gas prices across the country. Retail prices ranged from about N1,100 per kilogram to as high as N1,800 per kilogram, depending on location and supply conditions. The wide gap underscores persistent distribution challenges, even as authorities push to expand access to cleaner cooking energy nationwide.
Growing Market Faces Supply Risks
Despite these challenges, LPG consumption remains strong. Average daily consumption of 4.5 kilotonnes exceeded the NMDPRA's 2026 demand benchmark of 3.9 kilotonnes, reflecting increasing adoption of cooking gas among Nigerian households and businesses. However, analysts warn that unless supply growth keeps pace with rising demand, the market could remain exposed to periodic shortages and price spikes. The latest figures paint a mixed picture: Nigeria's cooking gas market is expanding steadily, but supply constraints and limited reserves continue to pose significant risks to price stability and product availability.
Marketers Announce Good News for Cooking Gas Prices
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigerians battling soaring cooking gas prices may soon have reasons to hope. Industry marketers have projected a sharp decline in prices if the Federal Government fully implements ongoing reforms aimed at boosting domestic supply and easing distribution bottlenecks. The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) says the retail price of cooking gas could drop significantly to between N900 and N1,100 per kilogram by the end of 2026, a development that could bring major relief to millions of households currently grappling with record-high prices. Speaking in Lagos, the President of NALPGAM, Mr Edu Inyang, explained that while Nigeria has made considerable progress in local LPG production, supply chain challenges, logistics costs, and foreign exchange pressures continue to keep prices elevated.
