The average price of refilling a 5kg cooking gas cylinder surged 12.60 per cent in March 2026 to N7,655.73 from N6,799.18 in February 2026, according to the latest estimates by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS disclosed this in its Cooking Gas Price Watch for March, released this week.
It disclosed that on a year-on-year basis, the 5kg price climbed 4.55 per cent from N7,322.49 in March 2025, as Nigerians suffer the ripple effect of the Middle East crisis.
Kaduna had the highest state price at N9,212.21, followed by Lagos at N8,909.73, and Taraba at N8,802.78, while Bauchi recorded the lowest at N6,295.40, with Osun at N6,457.35, and Ondo at N6,598.10.
By zone, the North-West led at N8,137.81, trailed by the North-East at N7,890.53, while the South-South had the lowest at N7,300.95.
For 12.5kg cylinders, prices jumped 15.62 per cent month-on-month to N19,652.83 from N16,997.94 in the previous month, and rose 6.48 per cent year-on-year from N18,456.24.
Nasarawa hit the highest at N23,418.12, followed by Kaduna at N23,030.52, and Akwa Ibom at N22,816.74. Bauchi was lowest at N15,738.50, then Osun at N16,143.38, and Ondo at N16,495.25. The North-West zone averaged at N20,701.66, with the South-East lowest at N18,432.63.
The rise in the price of cooking fuel came as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz affected prices of liquified natural gas (LNG) and over 10 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of global LNG supplies. Coupled with other issues like volatile exchange rates, global market swings, and high transport costs to northern rural areas, the cost continued to bite.
LPG, priced in US Dollars, faces higher landing costs from Naira devaluation and imported supply reliance.
