Residents of Amuwo-Odofin, including parts of Festac Town and surrounding communities, are increasingly feeling the strain of rising cooking gas prices, as household energy costs continue to climb and reshape daily living patterns.
A community-level check across retail points in Amuwo and nearby Lagos suburbs shows that cooking gas now sells between ₦1,250 and ₦1,500 per kilogram, with an average price hovering around ₦1,350 per kilogram, depending on location and vendor.
The steady increase is forcing many households to rethink how often they cook, reduce meal portions, and explore cheaper or alternative energy sources to manage rising expenses.
In interviews conducted within Amuwo-Odofin, residents described a noticeable shift in daily cooking habits as gas prices continue to rise.
A teacher, Grace Ekot, said the cost of cooking gas is now directly affecting household budgeting and other essential expenses.
“Gas is now taking money meant for school fees and transportation,” she said, adding that her family now cooks only once a day and plans meals carefully based on available gas.
She also noted that during periods of stable electricity, the family resorts to electric cooking alternatives to reduce gas consumption.
For small business owners, especially food vendors in Festac and surrounding areas, the impact is equally severe.
A food vendor, Aminat Wasiu, said rising gas prices have reduced her profit margin significantly, forcing her to make difficult business decisions.
“My profit is dropping because I cannot keep increasing food prices every week,” she said.
She explained that she now reduces food portions in some cases and occasionally switches to charcoal or firewood to manage operating costs.
Gas marketers operating within Festac and Amuwo-Odofin attributed the price increase to a combination of foreign exchange instability, transportation costs, and Nigeria’s dependence on imported gas.
A station manager at a retail outlet in Festac, who requested anonymity, explained that global and domestic economic pressures are driving the continuous price increase.
“Gas is imported, and transactions are done in foreign currency. Exchange rate pressure alone accounts for almost 70 per cent of the problem,” he said.
He also cited import duties, licensing fees, logistics costs, and informal charges along transport routes as additional factors affecting pricing.
According to him, transporting gas from depots to retail stations can cost as much as ₦250,000 for five tonnes, before operational and profit margins are added.
Across Amuwo-Odofin, residents say they are now combining cooking gas with alternative energy sources such as kerosene stoves and electric cookers where electricity supply allows.
A resident, Kazeem Lawal, said price differences between nearby gas outlets also add to the confusion and burden on consumers.
“Sometimes, the price changes within two streets,” he said.
He added that his household now stretches gas usage by ensuring cylinders are fully depleted before refilling, while also relying on other cooking methods when necessary.
The rising cost of cooking gas adds to broader inflation pressures already affecting households in Amuwo-Odofin, where residents continue to adjust spending on food, transportation, and utilities.
As prices fluctuate, many families say they are being forced into a more restrictive lifestyle, where daily meals and energy use are carefully rationed to match shrinking household budgets.