Indications that the general price level for commodities remain high in Nigeria have emerged with prices of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) or kerosene and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or cooking gas costing more in December than was the case in the corresponding month of 2016.
The latest reports of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on the two commodities showed that while consumers paid 13.02 per cent higher for refilling their 5kg gas cylinders in the month under review compared to the price in December 2016, average price per litre paid by consumers for kerosine increased by 22.50 % year-on-year.
The Bureau reported that average price for the refilling of a 5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) increased by 13.02% year-on-year to N2,262.79 in December 2017. However, the price decreased by -4.84% month-on-month from N2,377.81 record3e in November 2017.
The report showed that Benue, Oyo and Taraba states paid highest for the refilling of 5kg cylinder of gas, at N2,666.67; N2,664.29 and N2,500.00 respectively.
Conversely, states with the lowest average price for the refilling of a 5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Plateau (N2,060.00), Ekiti (N2,062.50) and Cross River (N2,093.75).
The NBS reported further that similarly, average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) decreased by -1.97% month-on-month and increased by 9.36% year-on-year to N4,452.83 in December 2017 from N4,542.30 in November 2017.
“States with the highest average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Cross River (N4,800.00), Imo (N4,771.43) and Abia (N4,677.78).
“States with the lowest average price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) were Osun (N4,200.00), Yobe (N4,200.00) and Ogun (N4,196.88)”, the Bureau added.
On kerosene price trends, the official statistics producing and reporting agency reported that the average price per litre paid by consumers for kerosene increased by 6.32% month-on-month and 22.50% year-on-year to N284.03 in November 2017 from N267.14 in November 2016.
According to the agency, the states with the highest average price per litre of kerosene were Abia (N261.90), Abuja (N290.67) and Adamawa (N248.10). However, states that paid the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Zamfara (N250), Yobe (N270) and Taraba (N266.67).
Similarly, average price per gallon paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene decreased by -0.32% month-on-month and increased by 1.59% year-on-year to N1,048.97 in December 2017 from N1,052.33 in November 2017.
The Bureau listed the states that paid the highest average price per gallon of kerosene as Adamawa where consumers bought the commodity at N1,196.00 per litre, Enugu at N1,165.00 and Gombe at N1,157.14 during the month under review.
The states that paid lowest average price per litre for the commodity were Rivers where consumers bought at N907.89, Kwara where it sold for N926.25 per litre and Abuja at N952.50.
