Nigeria Moves to Stabilise Cooking Gas Prices as Stakeholders Roll Out Emergency Supply Measures
The engagement brought together senior government officials, regulators, producers, marketers, terminal operators, and industry groups to assess the drivers of rising LPG costs and agree on practical interventions across the value chain.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a vital household energy source and a key pillar of Nigeria’s energy transition. She warned that escalating prices are increasing pressure on household incomes and driving up the cost of essential goods, stressing the need for coordinated action to ensure affordability and access.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is concerned about the impact of rising cooking gas prices and has directed relevant agencies to implement urgent measures to address the situation.
He noted that improving supply must be matched with better logistics, infrastructure efficiency, and transparent pricing systems to ensure consumers benefit from interventions in the sector.
The Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, attributed persistent price pressures partly to high landing costs but expressed confidence that ongoing reforms would ease market conditions in the coming weeks. He added that efforts are underway to boost domestic supply, enhance oversight, and support market stabilisation.
In a presentation by the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, the NMDPRA highlighted key challenges affecting pricing, including infrastructure gaps, domestic supply constraints, logistics bottlenecks, market distortions, and global supply disruptions.
The agency also reported improved supply performance following recent engagements with stakeholders, noting that national LPG sufficiency rose from 11 days to 22 days, while average daily supply increased from 4,262 metric tonnes in May 2026 to 5,040 metric tonnes in June 2026.
Participants across the LPG value chain pledged support for government efforts while identifying persistent challenges in storage, transportation, distribution, and market efficiency.
Agreed interventions include strengthened market monitoring, stricter enforcement against malpractice, expansion of storage and distribution infrastructure, increased domestic production, improved product tracking systems, better access to market data, and enhanced collaboration among industry players.
In his closing remarks, the Minister directed stakeholders to take immediate action to improve supply and remove inefficiencies, stressing that progress would be measured by increased availability, stronger distribution performance, and reduced price pressure across the country.
