Civil society organisations have condemned the 44.51 per cent year-on-year increase in the price of cooking gas in Nigeria, warning that the hike will worsen poverty, push households to unsafe alternatives, and undermine environmental sustainability.

The National Bureau of Statistics, in its July 2025 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Price Watch Report, revealed that the average retail price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas rose from N14,261.57 in July 2024 to N20,609.48 in July 2025.

In separate interviews with The PUNCH, CSOs decried the impact of the price hike in cooking gas on the living conditions of Nigeria.

Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, described the surge as “a bad signal” with serious socio-economic implications.

Mamedu said, “The analysis showing that there is a 44 per cent increase in a space of one year indicates that the price of gas is way above the inflation rate of 22 per cent. Clearly, it is a bad signal.”

He warned that the hike would erode disposable incomes, push more families into poverty, and force many households to revert to firewood and charcoal, with grave consequences for the environment and public health. “People will find alternatives, and the next alternative would be firewood. That will affect the environment, accelerate climate change, and endanger the health of users who inhale smoke,” he added.

Mamedu also criticised the government’s failure to address bottlenecks in the gas sector despite policies aimed at curbing the price surge. He noted, “We still have oil and gas companies flaring gas, and we still have Niger Delta bottlenecks. The government must make cooking gas affordable, whether through easing transportation costs, incentivising operators, or some level of subsidy.”

Similarly, Programme Officer, Governance and Rights Programme, Christian Aid Nigeria, Munachi Ugochukwu, urged the Federal Government to be more deliberate in its intervention in the gas market. “The government needs to be more realistic and comprehensive in its plans for the gas sector. Stakeholders must be brought to the table, regulators, investors, and operators, to strike a balance between investor collaboration and Dangote Refinery’s push for competition,” he said.

Ugochukwu noted that while Dangote Refinery has announced plans to drive down prices by producing over 22,000 tonnes of LPG daily, other industry players were resisting what they perceived as a monopolistic move.

“Consumers on the streets would embrace the Dangote agenda of cheaper gas. This is why the government, through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, must convene dialogue to settle these issues,” he added.

The CSOs stressed that unless urgent steps are taken, the sharp rise in gas prices will undermine the government’s policy of encouraging households to switch from firewood to cleaner and safer cooking fuels.

Earlier, The PUNCH reported that the increasing trend indicates a worrying reversal when compared with July 2024, when the price of cooking gas had fallen by 9.37 per cent on a month-on-month basis, from N15,736.27 in June 2024 to N14,261.57. The Federal Government had, over the years, implemented different policies in moves to tackle the soaring price

In October 2024, it stopped the export of locally produced cooking gas to prioritise domestic supply. According to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, the measure is intended to mitigate the soaring price of gas and will take effect from November 1, 2024.

Despite the annual surge, the report notes a modest 1.91% month-on-month decrease, with the price dropping from N21,010.56 in June 2025 to N20,609.48 in July 2025. This slight relief comes as a rare break in the upward trend, though experts caution that it may not indicate a sustained decline.

According to NBS, the retail price for refilling a 5 kg cylinder “decreased by 0.96% on a month-on-month basis from N8,323.95 recorded in June 2025 to N8,243.79 in July 2025.

“On a year-on-year basis, this increased by 37.98% from N5,974.55 in July 2024.” In the state profile analysis, NBS reported,” Adamawa recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5 kg cooking gas cylinder with N9,011.36, followed by Rivers with N9,005.00 and Taraba with N8,945.43.

“On the other hand, Yobe recorded the lowest price with N7,612.00, followed by Niger and Nasarawa with N7,662.00 and N8,000.25, respectively. In addition, analysis by zone showed that the South-South recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 5 kg cylinder of cooking gas with N8,511.26, followed by the South-East with N8,321.16, while the South-West recorded the lowest with N8,073.92.

In a state profile analysis of 12.5kg gas, “Adamawa recorded the highest average retail price for the refilling of a 12.5kg Cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) with N22,528.39, followed by Rivers with N22,512.49 and Taraba with N22,363.57.

“Conversely, the lowest average price was recorded in Yobe with N19,030.00, followed by Niger and Nasarawa with N19,154.99 and N20,000.62, respectively. It added that South-South recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5 kg cooking gas with N21,278.14, followed by the South-East with N20,802.89, while the South-West recorded the lowest price with N20,184.79. The NBS report is based on data collected from over 10,000 respondents across Nigeria’s 774 local governments.