THERE are growing concerns over the rising price of cooking gas as a kilogramme is now sold for between N1,000 and N1,200 in parts of the country, checks by this newspaper have shown.
There are also fears that the price may rise further owing to the scarcity of the product, which marketers are attributing to supply disruption.
Checks by this newspaper across Lagos State yesterday showed that while 12.5 kilogrammes of cooking gas is sold for N12,000 at some retail stations, a kilogramme was sold for N1,150 and N1,200 in Lagos outskirts like Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro, among others, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.
When our correspondent visited a major retail outlet in the state, the attendants said the product was still being expected, even as many buyers had queued up with their cylinders since morning.
Although a notice at the gas station showed N8,500 per 12.5kg, the attendant could not confirm the current price, saying until the product arrived.
However, one Mrs Suebat Ola, who drove down from Mowe, Ogun State, to buy the product in Lagos, said she decided to come to Lagos because the price was too high on the outskirts.
She said, “I came all the way from Mowe to fill my cylinders because along our axis, it is sold at between N1,150 and N1,200 per kg and that would be over N12,000 for 12.5kg. This is too expensive. I don’t know how long we would continue to spend this much buying cooking gas.”
Our correspondents who went round parts of Lagos yesterday report that most retail stations have run out of stock.
In parts of Lagos Mainland, cooking was yesterday sold for N1,100/kg from N750/kg it was sold last week with many families and businesses expressing concern over the price hike.
In Kano metropolis, there were queues at major gas stations visited by our correspondent.
While some vendors were selling a kilogramme for N880, others were selling at N950 and N1,000 as against N750 it was previously sold.
The situation was said to have forced many households in the state to resort to the use of charcoal.
Vendors attributed the hike to the high cost of transportation occasioned by the high cost of diesel.
The Kano State Secretary of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers of Nigeria (LIPGAR), Muhammad Omede, also blamed “the difficulties usually encountered by transporters due to poor road network, especially the Lagos-Kano road.”
Some citizens attributed the gas price hike to the weak naira, limited bulk storage and scattered terminals among other factors.
A gas retailer at Oshodi in Lagos, Chucks Okafor, said cooking gas users might pay N1,200 before the end of the week.
He said: “The current price stands at N1,100 per kg, while 3kg and 6kg cost N3,300 and N6,600 respectively; a 12kg cylinder of cooking gas costs N13,200.
“Many people who come to my store are shocked by the prices. Many walk away unable to make a purchase. I understand their plight, but as a retailer, my hands are tied too.”
Mrs Adebayo Esther Aderonke, a Lagos resident, lamented that “Cooking gas has become a luxury we can barely afford. We used to cook three meals a day, but now we have had to cut back. It is disheartening.”
Chef Maya, a renowned restaurateur, who also decried the increase in the price of cooking gas, said: “Our menu prices have had to increase, and customers are noticing. We fear losing our regulars due to the rising costs.”