The National Bureau of Statistics says price of cooking gas is declining while that of kerosene is high despite heavy importation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

• Anayo Ezugwu

THE price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, fondly called cooking gas, has continued to drop across the country. Also, the prices of other petroleum products such as fuel, kerosene and diesel have decreased in some states of the federation.  According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, NBS, report for the month of September, average price for the refilling of 5kg cylinder of cooking gas dropped by -3.98 percent month-on-month and -1.40 percent year-on-year to N1,911.44 in September 2017 from N1,990.71 in August.

The report indicated that the highest average price for the 5kg cylinder was recorded in Taraba State at N2,150.00, while Gombe recorded N2,050.00 and Abuja N2,040.00 average price for the product during the period. However, states with the lowest average price for 5kg cylinder were: Jigawa N1,775.00, Katsina N1,757.14 and Kaduna and Kano N1,750.00.

Similarly, average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cooking gas cylinder decreased by -2.60 percent month-on-month and -3.40 percent year-on-year to N3,937.71 in September from N4,042.85 in August 2017. States with the highest average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cooking gas cylinder were Kano N4,033.33, Edo and Katsina N4,020.00 and Abuja, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi and Zamfara N4,000.00. While states with the lowest average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cooking gas cylinder were Kwara N3,816.67, Abia N3,811.11 and Adamawa and Akwa Ibom N3,800.00.

The continued drop in the price of cooking gas is attributed to sustained strategic intervention in the efficient supply and distribution of the product by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

Ndu Ughamadu, spokesman of the corporation, had on September 3, said a national survey by oil and gas forum, NNPC’s weekly TV programme, indicated that in the last few weeks, the price of cooking gas has reduced.

“At the NNPC Mega and retail stations nationwide, a 12.5kg of cooking gas that was sold for N4,500 a few months ago is now sold for N3,800 while other retail outlets sell the same quantity for N4,000. NNPC has sustained its interventions through sustained improvement in the supply of the products and remodelling of distribution channels to address sufficiency issues across the country,” he said.

However, the NBS report noted that the effort of the NNPC to massively import kerosene has not affected price of the product across the country. Kerosene still sells as high as N316.67 per litre in Plateau State. The report showed that an average price per litre paid by consumers for kerosene increased by 17.28 percent month-on-month and decreased by -8.38 percent year-on-year to N264.48 in September from N225.52 in August 2017.

States with the highest average price per litre of kerosene were Plateau, N316.67; Yobe, N294.44 and Kaduna, N294.12. States with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Abia, N240.56; Edo, N240.00 and Ekiti, N233.33.

Similarly, average price per gallon paid by consumers for kerosene decreased by 0.45 percent month-on-month and by 16.35 percent year-on-year to N973.72 in September 2017 from N978.10 in August 2017.

States with the highest average price per gallon of kerosene were Adamawa, N1,200.00, Yobe, N1,150.00 and Gombe N1,145.45. While states with the lowest average price per gallon of kerosene were Delta, N854.00, Abuja, N846.00 and Abia, N826.50.

But the average price paid by consumers for petrol decreased by 1.2 percent year-on-year and increased by 0.1 percent month-on-month to N144.5 in September from N144.4 in August 2017. States with the highest average price of petrol were Yobe, N149.7, Bayelsa, N147.1 and Taraba,N146.1. States with the lowest average price of petrol were Abuja, N142, Osun, N142.8 and Ondo, N142.9.

According to the NBS, the average price paid by consumers for automotive gas oil, fondly called diesel, decreased by 5.83 percent month-on-month and 4.10 percent year-on-year to N184.80 in September from N196.23 in August 2017. States with the highest average price of diesel were Gombe, N202.50; Taraba, N198 and Zamfara, N197. Whereas states with lowest average price of diesel were Plateau, N176.67; Adamawa and Kogi, N175 and Kwara, N170.

– Oct 20, 2017 @ 12:52 GMT |