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

Mushines News gathered that the industrial action by PENGASSAN disrupted operations for several dacreatingated an “artificial shortage” in the market. He noted that some retailers also took advantage of the situation to inflate prices, further worsening the hardship for consumers.

“The increase you saw was relatively artificial. The strike led to a temporary halt in loading activities, and some marketers capitalized on it to raise prices unnecessarily,” he said.

He, however, assured Nigerians that normalcy has returned as loading operations have resumed fully at depots across the country. According to him, gas prices are now stabilizing, and supply is expected to improve significantly in the coming days.

Ojulari urged marketers to adhere to fair pricing practices and avoid exploiting consumers during such disruptions. He also reiterated NNPCL’s commitment to ensuring steady gas supply nationwide and reducing dependence on imported LPG to make the product more affordable for households.