LPG Prices Rise Due To Scarcity

LPG marketers, including NIPCO, Total, Forte Oil, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), among others have increased the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas because of its scarcity and are also rationing its supply in some places, The Nation reports.

The price of a 12.5 kg cylinder of cooking gas has increased from N2,800 to N3,200 depending on the area. Furthermore, many refilling outlets do not even have the product for sale.

The problem, it was gathered, was caused by hitches in the distribution among stakeholders in the value chain. A source in one of the oil marketing firms said the scarcity was caused by the usage of LPG distribution channels for other purposes than what they were originally built for.

The source said the government directed that two out of the three distribution channels be used to supply Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to make fuel available in the country.

The President, Liquifield Petroleum Gas Association of Nigeria (LPGAN), Dapo Adesina corroborated the source saying the scarcity was caused by the usage of LPG terminals for other purposes. He said the development has resulted in uneven distribution and scarcity of cooking gas in the country.