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Average 12.5kg cylinder now costs over N20,600 nationwide
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South-South states record highest prices, Yobe lowest
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Month-on-month dip offers little relief for households
The National Bureau of Statistics has confirmed that the retail cost of cooking gas in Nigeria has surged by 44.51 per cent year-on-year, underscoring a sharp rise in living expenses for households already battling economic headwinds.
According to its latest Liquefied Petroleum Gas Price Watch for July 2025, the average price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder rose from N14,261.57 in July 2024 to N20,609.48 in July 2025.
This marks a significant reversal from the same period last year, when the commodity’s price briefly declined on a month-to-month basis.
The NBS report further highlights that while there was a modest 1.91 per cent fall between June and July 2025—from N21,010.56 to N20,609.48—the marginal relief does not alter the longer-term inflationary trend that continues to strain household budgets.
In regional analysis, Adamawa, Rivers and Taraba recorded the highest average retail costs for a 12.5kg refill at over N22,300, while Yobe, Niger and Nasarawa posted the lowest, with Yobe’s average at N19,030. A similar trend was seen in the 5kg refill category, with Adamawa, Rivers and Taraba again at the top, and Yobe among the cheapest states.
By geopolitical zones, the South-South reported the highest average retail price for refilling both 5kg and 12.5kg cylinders, followed closely by the South-East. The South-West consistently had the lowest averages, though still above N20,000 for 12.5kg.
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The Bureau noted that its findings were based on data gathered from more than 10,000 respondents across the country’s 774 local government areas, reflecting a comprehensive nationwide picture of the market.
The figures come despite earlier government interventions, including an October 2024 ban on the export of locally produced cooking gas to prioritise domestic supply, a measure that officials had hoped would ease cost pressures. Experts caution, however, that sustained relief is unlikely without deeper structural reforms in energy pricing and distribution.
