How Pricey LPG is Shaping Health and the Environment in Nigeria

+Maintaining Clean Cooking with the Rising Cost of LPG

The price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in September 2024 has reached its highest level compared to any September in the last five years according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report. Households all around Nigeria are being impacted by this sharp price rise.

More than merely a financial hardship, the rising cost of LPG poses serious hazards to human health and the environment. With cooking gas prices rising beyond the means of many Nigerians, there’s a greater chance that households will  resort to less sustainable, less expensive options like kerosene, firewood or charcoal. 

These conventional fuels expose people to dangerous air pollution, which can cause respiratory ailments and other health issues, in addition to contributing to deforestation and environmental damage.

The broader implication of this trend threatens Nigeria’s progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.

When compared to September 2023, the cost of LPG has increased by an alarming 60% annually, and it has increased by about 4% since August 2024.

Data shows that the price of LPG in Nigeria however is below the world average.

Richer nations often have higher pricing, whereas poorer nations and those that produce and export natural gas typically have far lower prices. The varying LPG taxes and subsidies are the reason for the pricing differences in countries. 

Unchecked LPG price increases will worsen energy poverty in Nigeria by denying low-income households access to clean energy sources and accelerating environmental deterioration. 

Modern and clean cooking fuels are fuels with very low levels of polluting emissions when burned. Examples include biogas, LPG, electricity, ethanol, natural gas, and solar power, known collectively as(BLEENS). Pellets used in specialised biomass stoves can also be a clean fuel.

Currently, only 25% of Nigerians have access to clean cooking like LPG, it also shows that 75% of people still cook using dangerous, conventional methods like kerosene, charcoal, or firewood.