HURIWA Raises Alarm as Cooking Gas Hits N2,000 Per Kg

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised concern over the sharp rise in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), warning that it is worsening living conditions for millions of households across the country.

In a statement issued yesterday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said cooking gas now sells for as high as N2,000 per kilogram in several parts of Nigeria, describing the situation as alarming and unacceptable.

HURIWA said the price surge has turned a basic household necessity into a luxury item, forcing many families to consider cheaper and less safe alternatives for cooking.

It warned that the development is deepening Nigeria’s already severe cost-of-living crisis, with citizens also battling rising food prices, transport fares and other essential expenses.

“The alarming escalation in the price of cooking gas is not just an economic issue but a fundamental human rights concern,” the group said.

It added that the impact of the increase goes beyond market forces, stressing that it has direct consequences on survival and wellbeing.

“The direct consequence of making essential household energy unaffordable is mass hunger, malnutrition, disease and avoidable deaths,” HURIWA stated.

The association argued that access to affordable energy is tied to the right to life and human dignity, insisting that government has a duty to protect citizens from exploitative market practices.

It also expressed concern over what it described as weak regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector, which it said has allowed unchecked profiteering.

HURIWA urged the Federal Government to urgently investigate the factors responsible for the price hike and take steps to stabilise the market in the interest of consumers.

It called on relevant agencies to strengthen monitoring and sanction operators engaged in unfair pricing, while also introducing measures to cushion the impact on households.

The group warned that continued inaction could force more Nigerians to rely on firewood and charcoal, with negative consequences for public health and the environment.

HURIWA maintained that governance must be judged by its impact on citizens’ welfare, insisting that economic hardship should not be allowed to escalate unchecked.

It concluded by calling for urgent intervention to restore stability in the cooking gas market and protect Nigerians from further hardship.