Federal Gov’t Targets 5m Households For Clean Cooking

The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) adoption, aiming to transition between one million and five million households away from biomass cooking fuels while boosting domestic LPG consumption, which has surged from 50,000 metric tons in 2007 to over 1.3 million metric tons in 2023.

The minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, at the 6th West Africa LPG Expo 2025, on Monday, in Lagos, stressed the urgent need to phase out traditional fuels due to their severe health and environmental risks. “Across West Africa, millions rely on biomass and traditional fuels, which not only degrade our environment but also pose severe health risks,” he stated.

Ekpo highlighted Nigeria’s Gas Initiative, aimed at making LPG a key component of the country’s energy mix. “Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, we are ensuring that energy remains accessible, affordable, and sustainable through increased LPG adoption. To accelerate this transition, the government has introduced tax waivers on LPG imports and equipment; streamlined importation processes for cylinders and accessories and a domestic LPG pricing framework to stabilize costs and potentially lower prices,” he disclosed.

Ekpo called for public-private partnerships to expand LPG storage and distribution networks, emphasising that investment in infrastructure is crucial for sustained growth. According to him, “energy transition is not a journey that any country can undertake alone. It requires regional collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and strategic partnerships.

West African nations must align their policies to create a harmonised LPG market that ensures affordability and accessibility across borders. Nigeria stands ready to work with regional partners, development agencies, and private-sector players to scale up LPG adoption in West Africa. By leveraging our gas resources and expertise, we can foster a future where LPG is at the forefront of energy security and climate action in our region.”

The special adviser to the president on Energy, Olu Verheijen underscored the federal government’s commitment to leveraging Nigeria’s abundant gas reserves for economic growth and environmental sustainability.  She explained that the government’s policy exempting LPG and related equipment from import duties and value-added tax, aims to make LPG more accessible and affordable. “Additionally, the government has mandated local LPG producers to halt exports to ensure sufficient domestic supply and is developing a domestic LPG pricing framework,” Verheijen added.

The minister of Women’s Affairs, represented by the senior technical advisor to the minister of Climate Change and Green Economy, Prince Xavier Eyamba, announced the Nigerian Women Clean Cooking Scale-Up and Empowerment Initiative, aligning with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

This initiative will transition 1–5 million households away from biomass fuels, providing access to clean cookstoves while promoting carbon incentives and entrepreneurship opportunities for women.

Lagos state, which accounts for 40 per cent of Nigeria’s total energy consumption, is actively promoting LPG through initiatives such as the Ecogas program (converting public transport to Compressed Natural Gas) and gas-to-power projects. Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Abiola Kosegbe,  underscored the urgency of LPG adoption, citing the high mortality rates from indoor air pollution caused by inefficient cooking fuels.

Meanwhile, industry experts have emphasized regional collaboration to scale up LPG adoption in the continent. For instance, the deputy managing director of the World Liquefied Gas Association (WLGA), Michael Kelly, pointed to LPG’s immense potential in transforming West Africa’s energy landscape. However, he acknowledged challenges such as infrastructure gaps, affordability, and policy inconsistencies.

“LPG holds immense potential in transforming the energy landscape here in West Africa and throughout Africa. It’s a clean alternative to traditional fuels and it offers a viable solution to households, businesses and industries. However, the challenges, including infrastructure, affordability, and policy inconsistencies. Challenges remain, and that’s part of what the discussions are going to cover today and tomorrow,” he affirmed.

He disclosed that the WLGA is actively involved in promoting LPG adoption through initiatives like the Cooking for Life Africa Task Force and the Women in LPG Network, while stressing the importance of inclusivity. “We created Women in LPG as a way to get women into our industry at every level of the industry, so that our industry becomes friendlier to women,” he stated.

Kelly also spoke of the importance of the LPG Roadmap for Africa, which is available on the WLGA website, adding that, “It is meant to provide a series of analysis on the benefits of LPG as well as recommendations. And the recommendations are specifically for government bodies and other stakeholders so that they understand what our industry needs to grow up successfully and in the long term.”

Second vice president of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), Olufisayo Duduyemi, also emphasized the remarkable growth in Nigeria’s LPG consumption, rising from 50,000 metric tons in 2007 to over 1.3 million metric tons in 2023, while cautioning that affordability and infrastructure gaps remain key obstacles to deeper market penetration.