Cooking Gas Prices Skyrocket As NNPCL Blames PENGASSAN Strike

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has linked the recent surge in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, to the strike action embarked upon by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

According to Ireporter Online, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, explained that the strike disrupted loading and distribution for several days, which triggered an artificial increase in prices across the country.

Ojulari, who spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Bola Tinubu, assured Nigerians that the hike would be temporary, stressing that as operations return to normal, the cost of cooking gas is expected to stabilize.

“The increase you saw was relatively artificial because during the strike, movement and loading were delayed for about two to three days. With that delay, you saw the impact. Now that normalcy is returning, it will take a little time before distribution is fully restored,” he stated.

He further accused some retailers of exploiting the situation by inflating prices despite having existing reserves. Ojulari expressed optimism that once operations are fully back on track, prices will return to pre-strike levels.

The recent strike was called by PENGASSAN in protest against the dismissal of Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery. The industrial action, which disrupted petroleum operations nationwide, was suspended on October 1 after the federal government intervened. Following negotiations, the Dangote Group agreed to redeploy the affected workers, paving the way for a resumption of normal activities.