Key points
- Delta residents say rising cooking gas prices are forcing households to reduce consumption and buy smaller refills.
- Many families are rationing gas use or returning to firewood despite its own rising cost.
- Gas retailers say falling patronage and thin profit margins are threatening their businesses.
- Dealers warn that sustained price increases could worsen energy poverty and slow Nigeria’s transition to cleaner cooking fuels.
Main story
Many residents of Delta State say persistent increases in cooking gas prices are forcing households to cut consumption, buy smaller quantities and rethink how they prepare meals as economic pressures continue to squeeze family budgets.
Residents who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba said the rising cost of refilling domestic gas cylinders had significantly reduced their purchasing power, making it increasingly difficult to rely on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for everyday cooking.
Mrs Agnes Outdoor, a civil servant, described the situation as increasingly difficult for many families.
She said she now reserves cooking gas for only essential meals to make each refill last longer.
“The development is getting worse for families, and many of us are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of cooking gas,” she said.
Mrs Grace Eze, a trader, said she had abandoned her 12.5kg cylinder in favour of a 2kg cylinder because smaller refills were easier to afford under current economic conditions.
Similarly, commercial bus driver Philip Imoni said he now buys gas in smaller quantities because it is the only practical way to cope with the repeated price increases.
Many other residents interviewed said they now refill their cylinders only when absolutely necessary, while adjusting cooking routines to reduce fuel consumption and household expenses.
Some households have also returned to using firewood whenever their gas runs out, although they noted that firewood has also become more expensive and is not a sustainable long-term alternative.
Petty trader Udoka Nduka said her family sometimes switches back to firewood despite its inconvenience.
“We still go back to firewood when the gas finishes, even though it is not convenient and sometimes also expensive,” she said.
Gas retailers said the rising prices have also hurt their businesses as customers increasingly reduce purchases or opt for smaller refills.
Chairman of the Ika Liquefied Petroleum Gas Dealers Association in Delta State, Mr Eze Nnyeka, said retailers currently buy cooking gas at about N2,000 per kilogramme and sell it for roughly N2,200, leaving very little profit after operating expenses.
“We are operating with very small margins, and after expenses, there is almost nothing left to sustain the business,” he said.
Nnyeka said sales of 12.5kg cylinders had declined significantly as consumers increasingly preferred smaller refills that better matched their budgets.
He added that the cost of establishing and operating a gas retail business had risen sharply over the years.
“Before now, about N1 million could comfortably set up this business, but today it requires at least N5 million to start and sustain operations,” he said.
Nnyeka warned that if cooking gas prices continue to rise, more households could abandon cleaner cooking fuels, increasing energy poverty and slowing Nigeria’s transition away from traditional fuels.
The issues
Cooking gas has increasingly become Nigeria’s preferred clean cooking fuel as governments seek to reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal, which contribute to deforestation and indoor air pollution. However, persistent price increases are making LPG less affordable for many households, raising concerns that progress towards cleaner energy adoption could slow.
What’s being said
“I ration my cooking gas by reserving it only for essential meals.” — Agnes Outdoor
“We are operating with very small margins, and after expenses, there is almost nothing left to sustain the business.” — Eze Nnyeka
What’s next
Industry operators say unless cooking gas prices stabilise or household incomes improve, consumers are likely to continue reducing consumption, purchasing smaller quantities or reverting to alternative cooking fuels.
Bottom line
Rising cooking gas prices are forcing Delta households to change their cooking habits while simultaneously squeezing retailers, highlighting how inflation is slowing Nigeria’s transition to cleaner household energy.
