Decade Of Gas Begins LPG Expansion From Bayelsa, Targets 5m Households

The federal government has flagged off the nationwide rollout of the National Grassroots Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Programme under its Decade of Gas Initiative, beginning from Bayelsa State, with a target of providing clean cooking energy to five million Nigerian households by 2030.

The programme, implemented through the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), is expected to reach one million households annually as part of efforts to deepen domestic gas utilisation, improve public health, reduce deforestation, create jobs and drive inclusive economic growth.

Speaking at the launch in Yenagoa, the minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the initiative as a practical demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at ensuring Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources directly improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

He announced that 27,000 LPG cylinders would be distributed across Bayelsa under the first phase of the programme, saying the initiative would reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal while improving public health, protecting the environment and expanding economic opportunities.

According to him, “This is a landmark moment in our collective journey towards cleaner energy, healthier homes and a more prosperous nation.”

Ekpo explained that each LPG cylinder distributed would represent one less household relying on traditional cooking fuels, adding that the programme would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, curb deforestation and stimulate local manufacturing, entrepreneurship and employment across the gas value chain.

He called on state governments, development partners, industry players and communities to support the initiative to ensure its success nationwide.

Earlier, the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr. Ed Ubong, described the programme as one of the Federal Government’s flagship interventions under the Decade of Gas Initiative.

He said Bayelsa was deliberately selected as the pilot state because it occupies a unique place in Nigeria’s petroleum history as the birthplace of the country’s oil industry and host to Africa’s largest gas processing plant.

Ubong explained that the programme was designed to ensure long-term adoption of LPG through a sustainable cylinder recirculation model backed by digital monitoring, consumer safety education and structured refill support.

According to him, the nationwide rollout marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive to increase domestic utilisation of its abundant gas resources while improving the quality of life of millions of households.

The Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, commended the initiative, describing its cylinder recirculation model, barcode-enabled digital monitoring system and structured refill support as key innovations that would guarantee sustainability, consumer confidence and safety.

He said the programme aligns with Nigeria’s target of increasing domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes annually by 2030.

Umar reaffirmed the commitment of the regulatory authority to ensuring LPG remains safe, affordable and accessible across the country.

Representing the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Special Assistant to the President on Women Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Farouk, described the initiative as “a women’s health, women’s livelihood and women’s dignity programme.”

She noted that fewer than one in four Nigerians currently have access to clean cooking energy and said the ministry would leverage existing intervention programmes to ensure women benefit from the initiative both as end-users and entrepreneurs across the LPG value chain.

Similarly, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Mrs. Leah Tolulope Akinfiresoye, said the programme would create opportunities for young Nigerians through green jobs, entrepreneurship, climate action and skills development.

Governor Douye Diri, in his remarks, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) and the Decade of Gas Initiative for choosing Bayelsa as the pilot state for the nationwide rollout.

He described the initiative as a significant step towards ending the irony of oil and gas-producing communities depending on firewood for cooking.

The governor urged beneficiaries to embrace LPG as a cleaner and healthier alternative and appealed to the Federal Government to extend the subsidised refill support period to make the transition sustainable for low-income households.

Diri also highlighted Bayelsa’s strategic contribution to Nigeria’s gas industry, noting that the state supplies a substantial volume of gas processed at the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny and already utilises natural gas to power its state-owned gas turbine electricity plant.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience N. Oyekunle, commended all stakeholders for their collaboration and urged beneficiaries to observe safety guidelines in the use of LPG cylinders while promoting clean cooking practices within their communities.

The event featured the official unveiling of the National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme, beneficiary sensitisation on LPG safety, cultural performances and the symbolic distribution of LPG cylinders.

It attracted senior government officials, petroleum industry stakeholders, development partners, traditional rulers, women and youth groups, civil society organisations and beneficiaries from across Bayelsa State.

Following the successful launch in Bayelsa, the Federal Government said the National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme would move to Delta State as it continues the nationwide rollout aimed at reaching five million Nigerian households with clean cooking energy by 2030.