Cooking Gas: Residents Cry Out as Retail Prices Stay High Despite Depot Cut

Residents in Lagos and Ogun State are pressing government agencies to intervene in cooking gas pricing, saying retail costs remain far too high even after depot operators cut their gantry price. Dangote Refinery reduced its LPG price from N980 to N950 per kg, but consumers in several areas still pay up to N1,500 per kg.

Consumers in Lagos and Ogun said they are paying between N1,400 and N1,500 per kg at retail outlets. That puts buyers at roughly 47 to 58% above the current depot price of N950 per kg.

Retail Prices Across the States

At Ojota, cooking gas sold for N1,500 per kg, a price one buyer described as difficult to justify given the reported drop in supply costs. He recalled that the product sold for over N2,000 per kg as recently as April 2026 and questioned why savings from depot price cuts had not reached ordinary buyers.

In Arepo, Ogun State, gas sold at N1,450 per kg at a retail outlet near a resident's home last week. Another buyer, who asked not to be named, found the product at N1,350 per kg at a station in Magboro, while other outlets in the state sold it at N1,400 per kg.

Across filling stations linked to Ranoil, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, and Shafa, prices reportedly ranged between N1,300 and N1,450 per kg. In Abuja, some retailers charged about N1,500 per kg, broadly in line with prices recorded the previous month.

Depot Cuts Not Reaching Consumers

Dangote Refinery led the latest round of price adjustments, cutting its LPG price from N980 to N950 per kg. Other depot operators followed with reductions of between N15 and N30 per kg.

The N150 reduction from the previous ex-depot price of N1,100 represents a 13.6% cut in the refinery's wholesale price. Analysts and consumers had hoped those savings would move through the supply chain and show up at the retail level, but that has largely not happened.

The gap between depot charges and what consumers pay has drawn attention to costs absorbed between those two points, including transportation and distribution margins. Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority showed that LPG imports jumped by about 1,400% in June, reflecting a sharp rise in supply to meet domestic demand.

What It Means for Consumers

The failure of retail prices to follow depot cuts means households and small businesses continue to bear high cooking gas costs. Until the gap between wholesale and retail narrows, the relief promised by lower depot prices will remain out of reach for many Nigerian families.