Nigerians are expressing widespread concern over a significant hike in the price of cooking gas, with a kilogram now selling for as high as ₦2,000 in certain parts of the country.
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This surge comes despite assurances from industry stakeholders that there has been no official price adjustment.
The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has attributed the sudden increase to temporary supply disruptions and market exploitation by some operators.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, NALPGAM’s National President, Oladapo Olatunbosun, firmly stated, “I must say it categorically that prices of cooking gas have not gone up. No increment has been done officially.”
Olatunbosun squarely blamed opportunistic marketers for capitalising on a perceived shortage in supply. He suggested that these gaps were exacerbated by the recent strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) against the Dangote Refinery, which temporarily impacted market forces and demand.
“What is happening is that some marketers are taking advantage of the shortage in supply and the market forces that have increased demand. They are cashing up to make good money, which is wrong,” he asserted, adding, “We frown at this as an Association, and I’m happy that by the grace of God, normalcy will return in the next few days.”
Channels TV reported that the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which previously averaged between ₦1,200 and ₦1,300 per kilogram, has recently soared to between ₦1,700 and ₦2,000, reaching as high as ₦3,000 in some isolated areas.
Olatunbosun reassured the public that the current situation is both artificial and temporary, with expectations that normal supply and pricing would stabilise in the coming days.
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