By Benson Daniel
Nigeria’s domestic cooking gas supply rose to 5,332 tonnes per day in July 2026, marking the highest level recorded over the 13 month period covered by the latest industry data.
The increase was driven largely by domestic suppliers, with NLNG/SEPNU emerging as the biggest contributor to the country’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas market during the month.
Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority showed that total LPG supply increased from 5,100 tonnes per day in June to 5,332 tonnes per day in July.
NLNG/SEPNU supplied 2,031 tonnes per day through vessels, accounting for about 38 per cent of the total market supply.
Other domestic processing plants contributed 1,513 tonnes per day through trucks, while the Dangote Petroleum Refinery supplied 829 tonnes per day. Imports accounted for another 959 tonnes per day.
The figures indicate that locally sourced LPG accounted for 4,373 tonnes per day, or about 82 per cent of total supply, while imported volumes represented the remaining 18 per cent.
The July performance represents a significant improvement from the supply situation earlier in the year, when domestic availability weakened and prices surged across several parts of the country.
LPG supply stood at 4,500 tonnes per day in July 2025 before rising to 5,000 tonnes in August. It subsequently fell to 3,900 tonnes in September, before recovering gradually to 4,500 tonnes in October, 5,000 tonnes in November and 5,200 tonnes in December.
The upward movement continued into January 2026, when supply reached 5,100 tonnes per day. It then dropped to 4,700 tonnes in February and March, 4,500 tonnes in April and 4,100 tonnes in May.
Supply recovered to 5,100 tonnes per day in June before reaching the July record.
Despite the stronger supply position, retail prices remain significantly above the levels that would ordinarily make cooking gas more affordable for households.
Prices have fallen substantially from the peak recorded during the supply crisis in May, when some consumers paid as much as N2,400 per kilogramme. However, retail prices in several locations remain within the N1,300 to N1,600 per kilogramme range.
The disparity between rising supply and relatively high retail prices has kept attention focused on the distribution chain, transportation costs and the margins applied between suppliers and consumers.
NLNG has previously raised concerns over the pricing structure in the downstream LPG market, arguing that some marketers were purchasing gas at considerably lower prices before selling it to consumers at much higher rates.
The company said LPG supplied to buyers at between N800 and N900 per kilogramme had, at the height of the price crisis, reached retail markets at about N2,400 per kilogramme.
The regulator had indicated that, after transportation and other associated costs, the product should generally sell within a considerably lower range.
The latest supply figures nevertheless point to a growing contribution from domestic sources, an important development for Nigeria as it seeks to reduce its dependence on imported cooking gas and expand the use of natural gas for household consumption.
The increased participation of local processing facilities is also expected to strengthen supply resilience and reduce the exposure of consumers to fluctuations in international markets and foreign exchange movements.
For households and businesses, however, the key test will be whether the increase in supply translates into sustained reductions in retail prices.
A consistent improvement in domestic production, coupled with more efficient distribution and stronger market monitoring, could help narrow the gap between wholesale supply prices and what consumers ultimately pay.
The July figures therefore provide a positive signal for Nigeria’s LPG market, but maintaining the momentum will remain critical if the country is to make cooking gas more accessible to millions of households still dependent on firewood, kerosene and other traditional cooking fuels.
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