Cooking gas price drops by 17.4% in August 2025, offering relief to Nigerian households amid ongoing energy cost pressures

Cooking gas price drops offered a rare but welcome relief to Nigerian households in August 2025, according to new data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Also read: Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Fund Receives N256.52bn Allocation

The average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fell by 17.4% month-on-month, dropping from ₦14,375 in July to ₦11,875 in August.

On a year-on-year basis, cooking gas price drops were also recorded, with a 16.7% decrease compared to ₦14,261.57 in August 2024.

This marks the steepest monthly drop in over a year and comes amid broader concerns about energy affordability in Africa’s most populous country.

According to the NBS, the price per kilogram of LPG currently hovers between ₦950 and ₦1,020, depending on location. A state-by-state analysis revealed:

Highest prices:

•  Adamawa – ₦9,011.36
•  Rivers – ₦9,005.00
•  Taraba – ₦8,945.43

Lowest prices:

•  Yobe – ₦7,612.00
•  Niger – ₦7,662.00
•  Nasarawa – ₦8,000.25

At the zonal level:

• South-South recorded the highest average – ₦8,511.26
• South-East – ₦8,321.16
• South-West – ₦8,073.92

Despite the month-on-month relief, cooking gas price drops contrast sharply with broader year-on-year inflation trends:

•  The 5kg cylinder saw a small monthly drop of 0.96% (₦8,243.79 in July from ₦8,323.95 in June)
•  However, the year-on-year cost rose by 37.98%, from ₦5,974.55 in July 2024
•  For the 12.5kg cylinder, July’s average price of ₦20,609.48 still represented a 44.51% increase compared to ₦14,261.57 in July 2024

Nigeria, Africa’s largest LPG consumer, has battled erratic gas prices due to:

•  Foreign exchange volatility
•  High transportation and distribution costs
•  Heavy dependence on imported LPG

Experts blame the lack of investment in domestic processing and infrastructure. Despite Nigeria’s vast gas reserves, the country struggles to shield consumers from global price shocks.

In 2021, the Federal Government launched the “Decade of Gas” initiative to promote LPG adoption.

However, rising prices in 2023 and early 2024 forced many households to revert to firewood and charcoal, undermining clean energy goals.

The recent cooking gas price drops may offer short-term relief, especially for families grappling with record food inflation and soaring transportation costs.

Still, analysts warn that unless local supply chains improve, prices could rise again with global fluctuations.

Also read:Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Fund Receives N256.52bn Allocation

As Nigeria continues to navigate its energy future, the pressure is mounting for policymakers to move from promises to tangible progress in making clean cooking fuel both accessible and affordable.