Cooking Gas: Nigeria Suffers 91,966 Metric Tonnes Deficit …NMDPRA

Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Comments

• Sells for N2,100/kg due to marketers charging non-cost reflective prices

BY BONNY AMADI

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says that Nigeria recorded a year-to-date LPG supply deficit of 91,966 metric tonnes between January 1 and June 18, 2026.

The Regulatory Authority (also said that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) wholesalers and retailers are charging non-cost reflective prices, pushing cooking gas prices as high as N2,100 per kilogram despite significantly lower indicative prices issued by the regulator.

The authority disclosed this in a presentation delivered by Rabiu Umar, chief executive officer (CEO) of the NMD- PRA, at an emergency stakeholders’ meeting convened by the ministry of petroleum resources over rising LPG prices.

According to NMDPRA, consumers across the country are paying far above the regulator’s indicative pricing benchmarks due to marketer profiteering and distribution bottlenecks.

The NMDPRA said cooking gas sells for between N1,600/kg and N2,100/kg in the south-west despite an indicative price range of N1,018/kg to N1,177/kg.

In the north-central, LPG prices range from N1,550/kg to N1,950/kg against an indicative benchmark of N1,066/kg to N1,224/kg, while consumers in the south-south pay between N1,400/kg and N2,000/kg compared with an official guide of N1,021/kg to N1,179/kg.

The authority attributed the disparity to “non-cost reflective pricing” by wholesalers and retailers as well as infrastructure constraints affecting product distribution. On May 25, it was reported cooking gas price rose to N2,000/kg in Lagos and N1,600 in Abuja.

Chevron Exported All LPG Produced Be- tween January and May

The regulator also raised concerns over domestic supply shortages, saying a significant portion of locally produced LPG is being exported instead of being supplied to the domestic market.

According to the presentation, Chevron Nigeria Limited produced 148,222 metric tonnes of LPG between January and May 2026 but exported the entire volume.

The authority said Chevron accounted for 22.93 percent of total LPG production during the period.

NMDPRA said engagements would be required with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the ministry of petroleum resources to address the situation and secure additional volumes for the domestic market.