THE Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources has convened an emergency stakeholders’ engagement, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Police Force, to address Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) hoarding and diversion to neighbouring countries.
News Point Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said the move followed the recent increase in LPG prices and was aimed at developing coordinated measures to improve supply, affordability, and market stability across the country.
The Authority further stated that the meeting brought together key government officials, regulators, producers, marketers, terminal operators, and industry associations to examine factors driving rising LPG prices and agree on practical interventions to strengthen the value chain.
Speaking at the engagement, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a critical energy source for households and a key component of Nigeria’s energy transition agenda.
She noted that rising LPG prices are placing additional pressure on household budgets and increasing the cost of essential goods, stressing the need for collective action to improve access to affordable cooking gas.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Tinubu is concerned about the impact of rising LPG prices on Nigerians and has directed relevant agencies to take proactive steps to address the situation.
He emphasised that increased supply must be supported by efficient logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing mechanisms to ensure consumers benefit from interventions across the sector.
On his part, the Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Mallam Rabiu Umar, noted that high landing costs continue to influence LPG prices, but expressed optimism that ongoing interventions across the value chain would begin to ease market pressure in the coming weeks.
He added that the Authority is working with producers and other stakeholders to increase domestic supply, strengthen market oversight, and support interventions that will improve product availability.
In a presentation delivered by the Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Ogbugo Ukoha, the NMDPRA identified infrastructure gaps, domestic supply constraints, logistics challenges, market distortions, and global supply disruptions as key drivers of LPG price increases.
The Authority also reported improvements following recent engagements with producers, suppliers, and terminal operators.
According to him, national LPG supply 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.
Stakeholders across the LPG value chain pledged their support for government efforts, while also highlighting challenges affecting storage, transportation, distribution, and overall market efficiency.
Agreed measures from the meeting include intensified market monitoring, strengthened enforcement against malpractice, expansion of storage and distribution infrastructure, increased domestic production, enhanced product tracking systems, improved access to market data, and deeper collaboration among industry players.
In his closing remarks, the Minister directed all stakeholders to take immediate steps to improve supply, eliminate inefficiencies, and protect consumers, noting that success would be measured by increased LPG availability, improved distribution efficiency, and reduced price pressures nationwide.