The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has attributed the recent scarcity and price surge of cooking gas to disruptions caused by the strike action of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

Ojulari said the industrial action, which halted loading operations for several days, created a temporary supply gap that triggered what he described as an “artificial” price increase.

“The increase you saw was relatively artificial because, during the strike period, movement and loading were delayed by about two or three days,” Ojulari told State House correspondents on Sunday, after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

“And because of that, you saw the impact. As things return to normal, it will take some time for distribution to be fully restored,” he added.

Ojulari accused opportunistic retailers of exploiting the situation to raise prices unjustifiably. He assured Nigerians that cooking gas prices would ease in the coming weeks as supply chains stabilise.

“As you know, in Nigeria, people take advantage of situations. With that delay, some who had existing stock raised prices unnecessarily,” he said. “My expectation is that now that things are back to normal, prices should return to pre-strike levels.”

Cooking gas prices have recently skyrocketed across Nigeria, with Lagos residents now paying between ₦2,500 and ₦3,000 per kilogramme as scarcity grips major cities. Many residents report that several filling stations and gas plants have run out of stock, leaving only roadside vendors with limited supplies selling at inflated prices.

Oil workers under the aegis of PENGASSAN had embarked on a strike over the alleged dismissal of Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery. The strike was, however, suspended on October 1, following the intervention of the Federal Government.