The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has attributed the recent scarcity and spike in the price of cooking gas to disruptions caused by the industrial action of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Speaking to journalists at the State House in Abuja on Sunday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Ojulari described the price hike as “artificial”, resulting from a temporary halt in gas loading and distribution.
“The increase you saw was relatively artificial because, during the strike, loading and movement were delayed by about two to three days,” he said.
“As things return to normal, it takes some time for full distribution to be restored.”
Ojulari also accused opportunistic retailers of exploiting the supply disruption to inflate prices.
“As you know, in Nigeria, people take advantage of situations. With that delay, some of those who had existing reserves increased their prices,” he said.
“Now that things are back to normal, my expectation is that prices should also return to pre-strike levels.”
Soaring prices amid shortages
Across major Nigerian cities, cooking gas prices have surged dramatically. In Lagos, residents are now paying between ₦2,500 and ₦3,000 per kilogram, with many gas plants and filling stations reportedly out of stock. Street vendors with limited supply have capitalised on the situation, selling at even higher rates.
The scarcity follows the nationwide strike by oil workers under the PENGASSAN union, who protested the dismissal of Nigerian staff at Dangote Refinery. The strike disrupted gas supply chains before it was suspended on October 1, following the intervention of the Federal Government.
Ojulari assured Nigerians that with operations resuming across the sector, supply would gradually normalise and prices should ease in the coming weeks.
