For many households, cooking gas, otherwise known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), is gradually shifting from an everyday necessity to a “luxury item” as the retail prices have risen sharply across the country.

Checks by The Guardian showed that the cost has climbed to as high as N2,000 per kilogramme (kg) in some locations, worsening pressure on households who are already battling rising food prices, transport costs and electricity challenges.

Consumers in Lagos and Ogun states who spoke with The Guardian lamented that the continuous increase is forcing households to cut down usage, ration cooking, and adjust family meal patterns.

At Ijagemo in Lagos, residents said cooking gas is being sold for about N2,000 per kg, making it one of the highest-priced locations visited.

In Ejigbo and Isolo, consumers said refill stations dispense gas at about N1,700 per kilogramme, while residents in Egbeda and Agege reported prices around N1,500 per kilogramme.

Around Ota, Ogun state, some consumers said they bought the product at N1,700 per kilogramme, although a few outlets still sold at N1,500.

For a mother of four living in Ijegemo, Funmilayo Adebayo, the price increase has increased pressure.

“Refilling gas used to be something we planned for normally, but now you have to calculate everything. The last time I went to refill, I was shocked. At N2,000 per kilogramme, it means many families cannot even afford it anymore,” she said.

According to her, meals that require longer cooking periods, such as beans and some local delicacies, are gradually disappearing from weekly menus because of the cost involved.

Another resident in Ejigbo, Sodiq Lawal, said households are increasingly worried about what the next refill would cost.

“Every week, there is fear that the price will rise again. You go to one vendor and hear N1,700, another place may be higher. It is affecting everyone because cooking cannot stop,” he said.

For small business operators who depend heavily on gas, the situation is becoming even more difficult.

Rukayat Bello, who runs a roadside food business in Isolo, said the increase is shrinking profit margins.

“I use gas every day. If the price rises, it affects the food I sell. Customers complain when prices increase, but they do not know what we face when buying cooking gas,” she explained.

In Egbeda, where prices were relatively lower at about N1,500 per kilogramme, residents said the cost still remained far above what many families considered affordable.

A civil servant, Chinedu Okafor, noted that the difference in prices across communities has also created confusion among consumers.

“You can buy at one price in one area and another price elsewhere. But generally, it is expensive everywhere. The burden is on ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

The development comes amid concerns by stakeholders in the LPG industry over supply challenges, foreign exchange pressures, logistics costs and market uncertainties affecting distribution.

Industry operators have repeatedly warned that persistent increases could slow the country’s drive towards wider adoption of cleaner cooking fuels.

For many households, however, the concern is more immediate, as prices continue to rise from one community to another, consumers say cooking gas, once promoted as an affordable alternative energy source, is steadily moving beyond the reach of average Nigerians. (The Guardian)