The Federal Government has convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting to address the persistent rise in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, with plans to involve security agencies in tackling market practices blamed for escalating costs.
Speaking at the meeting in Abuja, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the government would collaborate with the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Police Force to combat product diversion, hoarding, speculative storage and other activities contributing to artificial scarcity and price instability.
Ekpo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring affordable cooking gas for Nigerians and expanding access to cleaner energy sources, stressing that the country’s abundant gas resources should primarily serve domestic consumers.
The intervention comes amid growing concerns over the rising cost of cooking gas, which has placed additional financial pressure on households and businesses across the country.
According to the minister, improving supply alone would not resolve the challenges facing the LPG market unless accompanied by efficient distribution systems and responsible market conduct.
He identified hoarding, allocation inefficiencies, logistics constraints, speculative storage and pricing distortions as major obstacles undermining market stability.
“Security agencies, including the DSS, EFCC and the Nigeria Police Force, will support regulators in preventing diversion, hoarding, illegal storage and disruptions to legitimate supply movement along key LPG corridors,” Ekpo said.
He directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to intensify market surveillance, strengthen engagement with operators across the LPG value chain and collaborate with security agencies to eliminate artificial scarcity and improve transparency in product distribution and pricing.
The minister disclosed that marketers had indicated readiness to increase imports where necessary, while additional supplies from new domestic facilities, including Seplat Energy’s gas plant, were expected to boost availability in the coming weeks.
He also revealed that the government was exploring a local LPG blending initiative involving Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), domestic producers and the Port Harcourt plant operator. The initiative is expected to reduce import dependence, lower logistics costs, improve supply reliability and support more stable pricing.
Ekpo directed all stakeholders in the sector to prioritise the domestic market and ensure efficient supply delivery.
He instructed producers and suppliers to provide reliable supply forecasts and prevent diversion of domestic allocations, while depot operators were urged to publish loading schedules, improve stock reporting and reduce delays in product evacuation.
Marketers and importers were also advised to increase product volumes where necessary, share discharge schedules and avoid speculative practices that could further inflate prices.
Similarly, transporters were urged to increase truck availability and remove logistical bottlenecks, while retailers were directed to display prices clearly and avoid arbitrary price increases.
The minister assured Nigerians that the government would continue to monitor developments in the LPG market and intervene where necessary to protect consumers.
“We remain committed to advancing a gas-powered economy that delivers cleaner cooking energy, energy security and improved quality of life for Nigerians,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NMDPRA has warned operators against violating domestic gas supply obligations, revealing that the country could face a supply shortfall of approximately 165,000 metric tonnes in the third quarter of 2026 if urgent corrective measures are not implemented.
In a presentation delivered on behalf of the Authority Chief Executive, Rabiu Umar, the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, stated that the regulator’s pricing model indicates that cooking gas prices should ordinarily range between ₦1,018 and ₦1,244 per kilogramme.
The regulator attributed current supply challenges to continued exports of locally produced LPG, disruptions in global supply chains linked to tensions in the Middle East, inadequate import volumes, infrastructure limitations and non-cost-reflective pricing practices.
According to the NMDPRA, full domestication of locally produced LPG would significantly improve supply availability and ease pressure on prices, noting that existing local blending capacity can absorb volumes currently being exported.
Although average daily LPG supply increased from 4,262 metric tonnes in May to 5,040 metric tonnes in June, improving national supply sufficiency from 11 to 22 days, the authority maintained that urgent measures were still required to prevent future shortages.
As part of its response strategy, the regulator disclosed that it had commenced audits of LPG off-takers lifting products from NLNG and NNPC facilities, intensified enforcement activities and was working to facilitate access to foreign exchange for critical imports.
The authority also plans to deploy technology-driven tracking systems to monitor product movement and reduce diversion across the supply chain.
Stakeholders at the meeting, including the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), raised concerns over profiteering within the LPG value chain.
Former Chairman of the association, Oladapo Olatunbosun, argued that market distortions rather than supply shortages were increasingly responsible for the high prices being paid by consumers.
“The truth is that we do not have a supply challenge; we have profiteering issues across the board, including among marketers,” he said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, said the emergency meeting was convened in response to the growing impact of rising LPG prices on Nigerian households.
She noted that the meeting provided an opportunity for government and industry stakeholders to identify practical solutions aimed at improving affordability, ensuring supply stability and promoting cleaner energy adoption.
Representatives of major industry players, including the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Seplat Energy and Chevron, also participated in the discussions.