FG Launches Nationwide LPG Programme, Targets 5m Households By 2030

The federal government has launched the nationwide rollout of the National Grassroots Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Programme, targeting five million Nigerian households with clean cooking energy by 2030.

The programme, flagged off in Bayelsa State under the Decade of Gas Initiative, aims to reach one million households annually to expand access to clean cooking energy, improve public health, reduce deforestation, create jobs and boost domestic gas utilisation.

Speaking at the launch in Yenagoa, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the initiative reflects President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by ensuring Nigeria’s abundant gas resources directly benefit ordinary Nigerians.

Ekpo announced that 27,000 LPG cylinders would be distributed in Bayelsa during the first phase of the programme, saying the initiative would reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal, improve public health, protect the environment and create economic opportunities.

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

He explained that every LPG cylinder distributed would replace traditional cooking fuels in one household, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, curb deforestation and stimulate manufacturing, entrepreneurship and employment across the gas value chain.

The Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Ed Ubong, said Bayelsa was chosen as the pilot state because of its strategic role in Nigeria’s petroleum industry and its status as host of Africa’s largest gas processing plant.

He added that the programme would promote long-term LPG adoption through a cylinder recirculation model supported by digital monitoring, consumer safety education and refill support.

The Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s goal of increasing domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes annually by 2030, while assuring Nigerians of safe, affordable and accessible LPG.

Governor Douye Diri welcomed the initiative and thanked the Federal Government for selecting Bayelsa as the pilot state.

He described the programme as a major step towards ending the dependence of oil-producing communities on firewood for cooking and urged the federal government to extend subsidised refill support for low-income households.

The federal government said the programme will next be launched in Delta State as it continues its nationwide rollout.