The Federal Government says its National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme is designed to expand access to cooking gas to more than 10 million Nigerian households by 2060.
The initiative, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) and the Decade of Gas Initiative, was launched in Akwa Ibom on Thursday, following its rollout in Bayelsa. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the programme targets one million households annually and five million by 2030.
The Decade of Gas Initiative said 27,000 filled LPG cylinders would be distributed to women in Akwa Ibom, as the programme expands to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Its Programme Lead, Ramatu Abdullahi, said beneficiaries would receive up to six free refills through a digital system designed to track cylinder use and household adoption.
Representing the NMDPRA chief executive, Francis Ogaree said the cylinder exchange model, refill support and barcode monitoring would strengthen the programme’s sustainability and support Nigeria’s target of raising domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes annually by 2030. Governor Umo Eno welcomed the intervention, saying it would improve livelihoods, protect the environment and create opportunities for gas-based investments in the state.
The minister also launched the Rural Women Empowerment Initiative for Entrepreneurship Development, with 3,000 women set to receive N100,000 each, totalling N300 million in direct support. The Decade of Gas Initiative said the state-by-state rollout will continue, with the next beneficiary state to be announced soon.
