The price of cooking gas has skyrocket to N1,800 in Lagos with gas retailers citing scarcity for the increase.
Checks by Arbiterz on Wednesday revealed that the price has been steadily increasing over the past few weeks before hitting the peak range of between N1,700 – N1,800 on Wednesday.
There has been constant increase in cooking gas prices ever since the tensions in the middle East started as the impact of the war trickles into Nigerian homes.
Global oil demand is forecast to contract by 420,000 b/d year-over-year in 2026 to 104 million b/d, according to International Energy Agency (IEA), a downward revision of 1.3 million b/d from the agency’s pre-Iran war forecast.
The average cost of a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas surged in March 2026, hitting ₦7,655.73, while a 12.5kg cylinder climbed to N19,652.83.
NBS data shows the average price to refill a 5kg cylinder increased by 12.60% month-on-month from ₦6,799.18 in February to ₦7,655.73 in March 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the price rose 4.55% from ₦7,322.49 recorded in March 2025.
Retail price of cooking gas further rose by 15.3% to ₦1,500/kg in May 2026.
With the latest hike in price, the average cost of refilling a 5kg cooking gas has now hit N9,000 further exacerbating the challenge faced by homes who now have to spend more to prepare meals due to the latest increase in gas prices and the exorbitant cost of food items.
