THE Federal Government has convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting involving the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Police Force to tackle the hoarding and illegal diversion of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to neighbouring countries.
The engagement, organised by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), comes amid growing concerns over the recent surge in cooking gas prices across the country.
According to the NMDPRA, the meeting brought together government officials, regulators, producers, marketers, terminal operators, and industry associations to identify the factors driving price increases and develop coordinated solutions aimed at improving supply, affordability, and market stability.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a vital energy source for Nigerian households and a key component of the country’s energy transition strategy.
She noted that rising cooking gas prices are placing additional financial pressure on families and increasing the cost of living.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has expressed concern over the impact of increasing LPG prices on Nigerians and has directed relevant agencies to take urgent action to address the situation.
Ekpo stressed that boosting supply alone would not be enough, adding that efficient logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing systems are essential to ensuring consumers benefit from government interventions.
The Authority Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Rabiu Umar, acknowledged that high landing costs remain a major factor influencing LPG prices.
He however, expressed optimism that ongoing efforts across the value chain would help ease market pressures in the coming weeks.
In a presentation delivered by the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, the regulatory authority identified infrastructure deficits, supply constraints, logistics bottlenecks, market distortions, and global supply disruptions as key drivers of rising LPG costs.
Despite the challenges, the NMDPRA reported improvements in product availability following recent engagements with producers and suppliers.
The 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 at the meeting pledged support for government efforts while highlighting challenges affecting storage, transportation, distribution, and overall market efficiency.
To address these issues, participants agreed on a range of measures, including stricter market monitoring, stronger enforcement against malpractice, expansion of storage and distribution facilities, increased domestic production, enhanced product tracking systems, improved market data access, and closer collaboration among industry operators.
Concluding the meeting, the minister directed all stakeholders to take immediate steps to improve supply, eliminate inefficiencies, and protect consumers, stating that progress would be measured by greater LPG availability, improved distribution efficiency, and reduced price pressures nationwide.
