The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), Oladapo Olatunbosun, has assured Nigerians that the ongoing scarcity of cooking gas across the country will ease by the weekend.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Olatunbosun attributed the temporary shortage to several factors, including the recent strike action involving members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery, as well as maintenance work carried out by the refinery and the activities of middlemen.
‘Scarcity Is Temporary and Artificial’
The NALPGAM president explained that the shortage was not due to any official price hike or production halt but rather a combination of logistical disruptions.
“About a year and a few months ago, one kilogram of gas was between ₦1,200–₦1,300, but it recently came down due to production by Dangote. Dangote eliminated middlemen, and that made gas land at a reasonable price,” he said.
He added that before the strike, the Dangote Refinery supplied about 50 trucks daily, which significantly stabilized supply in the South-West and parts of the North. However, renovation work and the subsequent strike disrupted this flow, forcing marketers to turn to Apapa depots, which later ran dry due to high demand.
“When Dangote finished renovation and we were about to commence full loading, the strike came in. Although production didn’t stop, inspection and berthing delays caused about five days’ loss, which made the scarcity more visible,” Olatunbosun explained.
‘Prices Should Not Exceed ₦1,300 per KG’
The NALPGAM president said normal operations have now resumed, with products being trucked across the country. He assured that prices would stabilize soon and urged consumers to avoid panic buying.
“Now that the strike is off, the product has been discharged and trucking has resumed. The scarcity will fizzle out by the weekend,” he assured.
He also warned against buying from third-party sellers, describing inflated prices as “illegal.”
“The price per kilogram should not exceed ₦1,300. Anyone selling at ₦2,000 per kg is likely sourcing from unregulated channels,” he noted.
Olatunbosun added that Nigeria’s national gas consumption has surged from 1.3 million metric tons per annum to nearly 2 million, leading to higher demand pressure.
He, however, maintained that with NLNG also ramping up supply and distribution returning to normal, the situation would stabilize in the coming days.