Nigeria: Sokoto Records Highest Cooking Gas Price as Supply Rises

Cooking gas sold at an average price of N1,575 per kilogramme in Sokoto in July 2026, making the state the most expensive of six major cities tracked by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, even as domestic supply rose by 22 per cent during the month.

The regulator's July fact sheet showed that Lagos had the lowest average price at N1,325 per kilogramme. Kano and Enugu each recorded N1,550, followed by Ibadan at N1,540 and Calabar at N1,410.

The figures show a N250 gap between the average prices in Sokoto and Lagos.

Retail prices also reached N1,650 per kilogramme in Kano, Sokoto and Enugu during the month. The lowest recorded prices ranged from N1,150 per kilogramme in Lagos to N1,500 per kilogramme in Sokoto.

Domestic supply rises sharply

The high retail prices came in a month when the volume of cooking gas available in the country increased.

Total LPG receipts rose by 4 per cent from 5.1 kilotonnes per day in June to 5.3 kilotonnes per day in July.

The rise came mainly from domestic sources. Supplies from within Nigeria climbed 22 per cent, rising from 3.6 kilotonnes per day in June to 4.4 kilotonnes per day in July.

Imports, however, fell by 40 per cent, dropping from 1.5 kilotonnes per day to 0.9 kilotonnes per day.

The NMDPRA put total daily LPG supply in July at 5.332 kilotonnes. NLNG/SEPNU vessel deliveries provided the largest volume at 2.031 kilotonnes per day.

Other processing plants supplied through trucks contributed 1.513 kilotonnes per day. Imports accounted for 0.959 kilotonnes per day, while the Dangote Refinery contributed 0.829 kilotonnes per day.

Demand cuts available cushion

Consumption also rose during July, reducing the gap between the amount supplied and the amount used.

Daily LPG consumption increased by 7 per cent, from 4.1 kilotonnes in June to 4.4 kilotonnes in July.

This meant that although more cooking gas entered the market, demand also climbed.

The regulator's figures also showed that the country had enough LPG stock to cover 16.3 days of consumption in July. This was the lowest stock cover among four major petroleum products monitored by the NMDPRA and below its 30-day minimum safety threshold.

Diesel stock could cover 46.5 days of use during the same period, while aviation fuel had 58.6 days of cover.

The July data therefore showed two developments at the same time: domestic LPG supply increased substantially, but demand also rose and retail prices differed sharply across the six cities monitored.

The average cost of a kilogramme of cooking gas was the highest recorded in the survey, for people in Sokoto. In Lagos, consumers paid the lowest average price among the six cities.

The figures also showed that a rise in the volume of gas supplied during the month did not produce the same retail price across the cities tracked by the regulator.