When Mrs. Angela Okon finally found a refill for her 3-kg cooking gas cylinder in Sabon Gari on Thursday, October 25, 2025, she didn’t cheer—she cried. At ₦1,400 per kilogram, it wasn’t cheap. But after paying ₦6,000 just weeks earlier for the same amount, it felt like a miracle. The price drop across Kano State, from a peak of ₦2,000 per kilogram to between ₦1,350 and ₦1,500, has brought a rare sigh of relief to households that had been forced to cook with charcoal or go without meals. The shift follows a nationwide easing of LPG supply, triggered by the resolution of a bitter industrial dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery.
From Scarcity to Slight Relief
For nearly two months, Kano residents navigated a gas crisis that turned everyday life into a scavenger hunt. In Tarauni, Darmanawa Quarters, Mr. Sani Buhari said his family rationed cooking time like water during a drought. "We’d boil water, cook one dish, then wait three hours before heating again," he told reporters. "My children missed school lunches because we couldn’t afford to cook." The situation was worse in rural outskirts, where some vendors reportedly sold gas at ₦2,200 per kilogram—more than double the pre-crisis rate.
But by late October, the tide turned. A survey by Supreme Magazine News across Sabon Gari, Hausawa, Rijiyar Zaki, and Tarauni confirmed prices had fallen sharply. The average dropped from ₦1,800–₦2,000 in early October to ₦1,350–₦1,500 by the 25th. The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Association of Nigeria confirmed the trend. Ayobami Olarinoye, its chairman, told The PUNCH: "The product is gradually circulating. Supply is up. But we’re not out of the woods yet."
Why the Drop? The Dangote Breakthrough
The root cause of the crisis was clear: a labor standoff. PENGASSAN had halted distribution from the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, demanding better pay and working conditions. The refinery, Nigeria’s largest, had been producing LPG at about ₦715 per kilogram but held back shipments, creating a bottleneck that rippled across the country. By mid-October, the dispute was resolved—though details remain unconfirmed—and deliveries resumed.
Depot prices tell the story. On October 29, 2025, GENERGO NETWORKS listed Dangote’s bulk LPG price at ₦17 million per metric ton—down from over ₦20 million just weeks before. International butane prices, which had hovered around $388 per metric ton, also softened slightly, easing import pressure.
Consumers Want More—Industry Plans Bigger
For now, many families are still paying more than they did in 2023, when LPG hovered around ₦900 per kilogram. "I don’t want to celebrate yet," said Amina Ibrahim, a street vendor in Rijiyar Zaki. "If this price stays for a month, then maybe I’ll stop worrying."
Meanwhile, industry leaders are thinking long-term. At the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers’ 38th Annual General Meeting in Abuja, outgoing president Oladapo Olatunbosun revealed a staggering growth trend: Nigeria’s annual LPG consumption has surged from 900,000 metric tonnes in 2020 to over two million in 2024. He predicted it would hit three million by Q1 2026. "We’re targeting six million metric tonnes by 2028," he said. "This isn’t just about affordability—it’s about replacing kerosene and firewood with clean energy."
What’s Next? Stability Is the Goal
Experts warn that without structural fixes, another crisis is inevitable. Nigeria still imports over 40% of its LPG despite having the Dangote Refinery. Logistics remain fragmented—trucks break down, roads are poor, and storage depots are outdated. Mr. Buhari’s call for government investment in local production and distribution networks echoes across community forums.
Olarinoye remains cautiously optimistic. "If supply holds for another week, we’ll see prices dip below ₦1,300," he said. "But we need consistent delivery, not just a temporary spike."
For now, Kano’s mothers are cooking again. Children are eating hot meals. Small businesses are reopening. But the real victory won’t come until the price stays low—and the gas keeps flowing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did cooking gas prices spike so high in Kano?
Prices spiked due to a labor dispute between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery, which halted LPG distribution nationwide. This created severe supply shortages, leading to hoarding and price gouging. In Kano, where demand is high and storage infrastructure is limited, prices jumped from ₦900 to over ₦2,000 per kilogram in just weeks.
How much has the price actually dropped since the peak?
In Kano, prices have fallen from a peak of ₦1,800–₦2,000 per kilogram in early October to ₦1,350–₦1,500 by October 25, 2025—a 25–30% decline. For a standard 12.5kg cylinder, that means a drop from ₦25,000 to around ₦17,000–₦18,750, offering significant relief to low-income households.
Will prices drop further, and when?
Industry leaders, including Ayobami Olarinoye of the LPG Retailers Association, believe prices could fall below ₦1,300 per kilogram if supply remains steady through early November. However, this depends on uninterrupted deliveries from Dangote Refinery and improved logistics across northern Nigeria, which still suffer from poor road networks and unreliable storage.
How is this affecting small businesses in Kano?
Small eateries, hair salons, and tailoring shops that rely on LPG for daily operations saw profits shrink as they passed higher costs to customers. Now, with prices falling, many are reopening after temporary closures. A single restaurant owner in Sabon Gari reported a 40% increase in customers since prices dropped, saying, "I can finally afford to keep the stove on all day."
What’s the long-term plan to prevent future gas shortages?
The Nigerian Association of LPG Marketers aims to increase national supply from 2 million metric tonnes in 2024 to six million by 2028. This includes building more regional depots, upgrading transport fleets, and encouraging local production. But without government investment in infrastructure and resolving labor disputes proactively, future shocks remain likely.
Why is LPG consumption rising so fast in Nigeria?
LPG use is growing because it’s cleaner and safer than kerosene or firewood, especially in urban areas. Government campaigns promoting clean energy, rising awareness of health risks from smoke, and the increasing availability of affordable cylinders have all contributed. With consumption projected to hit three million metric tonnes by early 2026, Nigeria is rapidly becoming Africa’s largest LPG market.
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