FG Launches Grassroots LPG Programme, Targets 27,000 Households

The Federal Government has launched the National Grassroots Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Programme (NGLPP) in Akwa Ibom State as part of efforts to expand access to clean cooking energy across the country.

The initiative, launched by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) in collaboration with the Decade of Gas Initiative, makes Akwa Ibom the second state to benefit from the nationwide rollout after Bayelsa State.

The programme is part of the Federal Government’s plan to increase access to clean cooking energy, with a target of reaching one million households annually and five million households by 2030.

Speaking at the launch, the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Ed Ubong, said Akwa Ibom was strategically important to Nigeria’s petroleum industry because of its significant oil production and natural gas reserves.

Ubong disclosed that 27,000 filled LPG cylinders would be distributed to women across the state, adding that the programme would eventually be extended to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The NGLPP Programme Lead, Ramatu Abdullahi, said the initiative would adopt a depot-hub-node cylinder exchange model to ensure sustainable access to LPG in beneficiary communities.

According to her, refill points would be established within one to two kilometres of communities, while beneficiaries would be entitled to up to six free refills within a year.

She added that a digital platform would be deployed to monitor cylinders, refills and household adoption, thereby improving accountability and ensuring effective implementation of the programme.

Representing the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Francis Alabo Ogaree, the Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure, commended the initiative.

Ogaree said the cylinder recirculation model, six-refill support and barcode-enabled monitoring system would strengthen the sustainability of the programme.

He said the target of reaching one million households annually and five million households by 2030 aligns with Nigeria’s plan to increase domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes annually by 2030.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, who launched the Akwa Ibom activation of the programme, commended President Bola Tinubu for prioritising women’s empowerment, grassroots prosperity and domestic gas utilisation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Ekpo said the programme would cover all 36 states and the FCT, with a broader target of reaching more than 10 million households by 2060.

He called for collaboration among governments, regulators, industry players, financial institutions, development partners, traditional institutions, communities and the media to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, also commended the Federal Government for bringing the programme to the state, saying the intervention goes beyond the distribution of LPG cylinders to improving livelihoods, protecting the environment and creating economic opportunities for 27,000 households.