The Federal Government has convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force to address the hoarding and diversion of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas.
According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the meeting was called in response to the recent surge in LPG prices and focused on developing coordinated measures to improve supply, affordability and market stability across Nigeria.
Channels Television reported that the engagement brought together government officials, regulators, producers, marketers, terminal operators and industry associations to examine the causes of rising cooking gas prices and identify practical solutions.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the 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 warned that increasing prices were placing additional pressure on household budgets and raising the cost of essential goods.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Tinubu is concerned about the impact of rising cooking gas prices on Nigerians and has directed relevant agencies to take proactive steps to address the situation.
Ekpo stressed that increasing supply must be supported by efficient logistics, improved infrastructure and transparent pricing mechanisms to ensure consumers benefit from sector-wide interventions.
The NMDPRA’s Authority Chief Executive, Rabiu Umar, acknowledged that high landing costs continue to influence LPG prices but expressed optimism that ongoing measures across the value chain would ease market pressures in the coming weeks.
In a presentation delivered by Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, the authority identified infrastructure gaps, domestic supply constraints, logistics challenges, market distortions and global supply disruptions as major drivers of LPG price increases.
The NMDPRA also reported improvements in supply levels following engagements with producers, suppliers and terminal operators. National LPG supply sufficiency increased from 11 days to 22 days, while average daily supply rose from 4,262 metric tonnes in May 2026 to 5,040 metric tonnes in June 2026.
Stakeholders pledged support for government efforts while highlighting challenges affecting storage, transportation, distribution and market efficiency.
Measures agreed at the meeting include intensified market monitoring, stronger enforcement against malpractice, expansion of storage and distribution infrastructure, increased domestic production, enhanced product tracking systems, improved access to market data and deeper collaboration across the LPG value chain.
In his closing remarks, Ekpo directed stakeholders to take immediate action to improve supply, eliminate inefficiencies and protect consumers, saying success would be measured by greater LPG availability, more efficient distribution and reduced price pressures nationwide.
