Nigeria’s average retail price for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, recorded significant increases in March 2026, according to the latest Price Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics NBS).
The report showed that the average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas rose by 12.60 per cent on a month-on-month basis, increasing from ₦6,799.18 in February 2026 to ₦7,655.73 in March 2026.
On a year-on-year basis, the average retail price increased by 4.55 per cent compared to the ₦7,322.49 recorded in March 2025.
Similarly, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder surged by 15.62 per cent month-on-month, rising from ₦16,997.94 in February 2026 to ₦19,652.83 in March 2026.
Year-on-year analysis also indicated a 6.48 per cent increase from the ₦18,456.24 recorded in March 2025.
The latest figures underscore continued pressure on household energy costs across the country, despite ongoing efforts by stakeholders in the domestic gas value chain to improve supply and stabilise prices.
According to the NBS report, Kaduna State recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at ₦9,212.21, followed by Lagos at ₦8,909.73 and Taraba at ₦8,802.78.
Conversely, Bauchi recorded the lowest average price for 5kg refills at ₦6,295.40, while Osun and Ondo states posted ₦6,457.35 and ₦6,598.10 respectively.
At the zonal level, the North-West recorded the highest average price for 5kg cooking gas refills at ₦8,137.81, followed by the North-East at ₦7,890.53. The South-East recorded the lowest zonal average at ₦7,373.05.
For the 12.5kg cylinder category, Nasarawa State recorded the highest average refill price at ₦23,418.12, followed by Kaduna at ₦23,030.52 and Akwa Ibom at ₦22,816.74.
On the other hand, Bauchi recorded the lowest average price for 12.5kg cylinder refills at ₦15,738.50, while Osun and Ondo posted ₦16,143.38 and ₦16,495.25 respectively.
Further breakdown of the zonal averages showed that the North-West recorded the highest average retail price for 12.5kg LPG refills at ₦20,701.66, followed by the North-East at ₦20,351.32.
The South-East recorded the lowest zonal average at ₦18,432.63.
The latest data points to growing volatility of the international economy as crises over the Strait of Hormuz continue to downplay diplomatic efforts to resolve the US- Israeli coalition against Iran.
The rise comes amid intensified nationwide adoption of LPG as millions of households continue to shift away from firewood, charcoal, and kerosene in response to cleaner energy campaigns and government-backed energy transition initiatives.
Stakeholders have repeatedly called for increased domestic production, expansion of storage infrastructure, improved distribution networks, and fiscal incentives to reduce dependence on imports and ease price pressures on consumers.
The NBS LPG Price Watch report tracks average retail prices paid by consumers for cooking gas across states and geopolitical zones, providing insights into energy cost trends and household expenditure patterns in Nigeria.
