Nigeria’s average retail price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, climbed by 23.69% year-on-year in April 2026, highlighting the growing cost-of-living pressures facing households across the country.
According to the latest Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), consumers paid an average of N1,532.93 per litre in April, up from N1,239.33 recorded in the same period last year.
The report also showed a sharp month-on-month increase of 18.97%, with petrol prices rising from N1,288.54 in February 2026.
The increase comes amid persistent inflationary pressures, with higher transport fares and food prices continuing to squeeze household budgets and reduce purchasing power nationwide.
A state-by-state breakdown of the NBS data showed that Yobe recorded the highest average retail petrol price at N1,599.05 per litre during the review period.
Edo followed closely at N1,595.74 per litre, while Bauchi recorded N1,589.07.
In contrast, Niger posted the lowest average petrol price at N1,403.89 per litre. Sokoto and Katsina followed with N1,404.16 and N1,406.28 respectively.
At the regional level, the South-South zone recorded the highest average retail price of N1,566.76 per litre, while the North-West posted the lowest average price at N1,508.81.
The NBS report further showed that the average cost of refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, rose by 13.73% month-on-month to N8,706.93 in April from N7,655.73 recorded early this year.
On an annual basis, the price increased by 10.42% from N7,885.60 recorded last year.
Lagos recorded the highest average refill price for a 5kg cylinder at N9,745.10, followed by Nasarawa at N9,451.70 and Bayelsa at N9,422.74.
Anambra recorded the lowest average price at N7,204.76, while Ondo and Ogun followed at N7,239.49 and N7,825.75 respectively.
Regionally, the North-West recorded the highest average 5kg refill price at N9,025.07, followed by the North-East at N8,847.16. The South-East posted the lowest average price at N8,224.37.
The average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cooking gas cylinder also rose significantly, increasing by 13.89% month-on-month to N22,382.20 in April from N19,652.83 early this year.
Year-on-year, the price climbed by 10.43% from N20,268.06 recorded in April last year.
According to the NBS Liquefied Petroleum Gas Price Watch report, Katsina recorded the highest average refill price at N25,596.71, followed by Kogi at N24,558.25 and Gombe at N24,438.97.
Ogun posted the lowest average price at N19,564.36, while Bauchi and Anambra recorded N20,178.87 and N20,511.90 respectively.
At the zonal level, the North-West recorded the highest average refill price for a 12.5kg cylinder at N23,276.95, followed by the North-Central at N22,865.29. The South-East recorded the lowest average price at N21,060.92.
The latest figures underscore the mounting pressure on Nigerian consumers as rising energy costs continue to push up household expenses and transportation costs across the country.
