As cooking gas prices drop slightly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), residents are urging the federal government to enhance its intervention to ensure further price reductions.

The residents who spoke to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, said that a significant reduction in prices would help alleviate some of the challenges faced by Nigerians.

1 kg of cooking gas is currently sold in the FCT for between N1,050 and N1,150, compared to N1,200 and N1,400 in previous months, depending on the location.

Abigail Nosa, a civil servant, commended the government for the price reduction, however, she called on the government to put in more effort to further reduce the price.

“I bought 12.5kg of cooking gas for N16,800 three weeks ago, I went to refill last Friday and discovered the price had dropped slightly to N15,000.

“I was a bit happy, but I hope the government can sustain this reduction to a significant level because it will offer some succour to Nigerians who are going through a lot of hardship.

“Many families use gas as their cooking source, especially in the urban areas.

“It would be good if the government ensures it is affordable, especially as they want us to move to cleaner energy sources,“ she said.

Sunday Azubike, a businessman, said that the reduction in cooking gas prices was not substantial enough to increase the purchasing power of Nigerians.

“Yes, the price has reduced, but it is not significant. We need to see a minimum of  50 per cent reduction for it to really have an impact on the purchasing power of Nigerians.

“All this N150,  N200 decrease is insignificant to the average Nigerian because many Nigerians cannot still afford to buy cooking gas.

“ Nigerians now use charcoal as an alternative source of cooking because kerosene is also very expensive.

“The government needs to do more to drop the prices down by ensuring local production of the product,” he said.

Joyce Idoko, a restaurant owner, urged the government to sustain efforts to reduce the price of cooking gas to help business owners like herself.

“I still remember when 12.5kg was N15,000, now it is N15,000 and above. I used to use only gas for my food business but I had to get a charcoal stove because I could not sustain using only gas.

“The charcoal is not cheap either but it is cheaper than gas, so I use the two if I still want to remain in business.

“The government should continue what it is doing to reduce the price further. It will really help businesses like mine that rely on cooking gas.”

Similarly, Halima Shehu, a civil servant, called on the federal government to put measures in place to ensure the price of cooking gas drops further.

Ms Shehu said many people had switched to charcoal stoves as an alternative because cooking gas was still not affordable for many Nigerians.

“In March, I bought 12.5kg for N15,000; last week, I refilled for N13,150. That is N1,050 per kg. This is still expensive for the average Nigerian.

“Many people have switched to charcoal. Like me, it is only when I want to cook in little quantities I use my gas, but for larger cooking, I use my charcoal stove.

“The government should put adequate measures in place to ensure the prices continue to drop so it becomes affordable for everyone,” she said.

Paul Bulus, a security man, appealed to the government to reduce the price of cooking gas to make it affordable for everyone.

“If gas is cheap, many people in the villages will start to use it.”

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) latest cooking gas report for February showed that the average retail price for refilling a 5kg Cooking Gas cylinder increased by 0.44  per cent on a month-on-month basis from N7,040.94 recorded in January  2025  to N7,072.10 in February 2025.

Also, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg Cylinder Cooking Gas increased by 0.34  per cent on a month-on-month basis from N17,432.89 in January 2025 to N17,492.42 in February 2025.

Experts have said the federal government needs to boost local production of cooking gas also known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

They said that foreign exchange issues need to also be addressed to make importing the product cheaper so it becomes more affordable and accessible to Nigerians.

(NAN)