On Sunday, October 5, a heavy downpour did not deter Ikorodu residents, who were seen in queues struggling to buy Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) popularly known as cooking gas.
Helpless residents were seen at the Nipco gas station in Sabo, Ikorodu, prepared to buy gas at N1,200 per KG. Our energy correspondent, who was on the scene, also witnessed fights among individuals who attempted to jump the queue.
Sooth News sought to understand why residents were struggling for cooking gas despite an alleged lack of scarcity. The filling station’s manager was not available for comment, but a resident waiting in line stated, “This filling station is helping; they are selling at N1,200 per KG. Others sells at N1,600 or more if you see it. They have been selling since Friday, and the situation is yet to be normalized.”
To gauge the situation, the correspondent visited other filling stations, including the MRS station at Agbala, which was also not selling product. The investigation found that other operational gas stations are selling the product for as much as N2, 000 per KG, while independent retailers are selling at unregulated prices.
The severe struggle for cooking gas in Ikorodu, accompanied by recent price hikes, presents a contradiction, especially since the Lagos State government commissioned a 40 metric tonne LPG Refill Plant in the area in November 2021. Could the ongoing scarcity be a lingering effect of last week’s PENGASSAN strike, or is there another reason for the sudden unavailability of the product?
However, the plant, built by the state-owned IBILE Oil and Gas Corporation (IOGC), was inaugurated by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Igbogbo-Baiyeku. This situation in Lagos raises serious concerns about the fate of citizens in other parts of the country regarding the availability of cooking gas.
Prices of cooking gas have continued to climb across Nigeria, leaving many households helpless and frustrated.
According to the survey, the prices of cooking gas have gone as high as N3200 per KG in other parts of the country. Indicating a 100 percent increase from the N1600 per kg recorded few days ago.
This is coming days after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) suspended its strike against Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The industrial action, which disrupted gas supply chains and triggered a spike in costs, was officially called off earlier last week following the Federal Government intervention.
However, prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) remain high, with checks showing wide disparities depending on location.
As confirmed by our correspondent, in other parts of Lagos, such as Ejigbo, gas sells for N2,200 per kg
Despite the truce, industry stakeholders say supply remains constrained.
Olatunbosun Oladapo, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), recently told newsmen that the strike crippled gas plant operations, especially in the southwest.
“Dangote, our major supplier in terms of availability and affordability of the product, is yet to release loading invoices to our members who have pending products with the company for more than three weeks, forcing marketers to buy from other competitors at a high rate,” he said.
Other suppliers reportedly took advantage of the supply gaps to increase their prices, compounding the situation for retailers and consumers.
We hoped the precarious situation would improve. We therefore urged the Nipco gas station at Sabo to maintain sales and appeal to the Dangote Refinery and concerned authority to speed up the supply of LPG throughout the country to ease the situation.
