The Nigerian Government has launched the National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme (NGLPP) in Akwa Ibom State to expand access to clean cooking energy and support grassroots economic development.
The initiative, led by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) and the Decade of Gas Initiative, makes Akwa Ibom the second state to participate in the nationwide rollout after Bayelsa.
The programme targets five million Nigerian households by 2030, with about one million households expected to benefit annually.
Speaking at the launch, the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Ed Ubong, described Akwa Ibom as strategically important to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector because of its substantial petroleum production and natural gas reserves.
He announced plans to distribute 27,000 filled LPG cylinders to women across the state, adding that the programme would eventually cover all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The NGLPP Programme Lead, Ramatu Abdullahi, said the initiative would use a Depot-Hub-Node cylinder exchange system, with LPG refill points located within one to two kilometres of participating communities.
She added that beneficiaries would receive up to six free refills within a year, while a digital platform would be used to monitor cylinders, refills and household adoption.
Representing the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Executive Director of Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure, Francis Alabo Ogaree, said the programme would encourage wider and sustained LPG use.
He said the initiative supports Nigeria’s target of increasing domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes annually by 2030.
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Government Supports Women’s Entrepreneurship
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the programme was designed to advance clean energy access, women’s empowerment and local economic growth.
He also launched the Rural Women Empowerment Initiative for Entrepreneurship Development, through which 3,000 women will each receive ₦100,000, amounting to ₦300 million in direct financial support.
Ekpo said the LPG programme would target one million households annually, five million by 2030 and more than 10 million by 2060.
He called for collaboration among governments, regulators, businesses, financial institutions, development partners and communities to ensure the programme’s long-term success.
Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno welcomed the initiative, saying it would improve access to clean energy while creating economic opportunities for households.
He also highlighted opportunities for investment in LPG bottling, cylinder manufacturing, gas storage, transportation and processing across the state.
