…Targets five million households nationwide by 2030

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) and the Decade of Gas Initiative, has officially launched the National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme (NGLPP) in Bayelsa State.

The launch marked the commencement of the programme’s nationwide state-by-state rollout to expand access to clean cooking energy and improve the lives of millions of Nigerians.

It also marked a major milestone in the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which is a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to leveraging Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources to improve household welfare, create jobs, protect the environment and drive inclusive economic growth.

Following the successful implementation of the programme across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, it has now entered the nationwide phase with a target of five million households by 2030.

A simple reading of the statistics means for five million households to be part of the programme by 2030, it must reach one million households annually beginning with this year, 2026.

The launch is of particular importance in Bayelsa State, where despite the huge gas resources, several households have continued to rely on firewood for cooking, thereby further depleting the shrinking forest cover.

BusinessDay gathered that over 27,000 households are expected to benefit from the scheme in Bayelsa State

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, thanked President Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) and the Decade of Gas Initiative for selecting Bayelsa as the pilot state.

He described the initiative as a significant step towards ending the long-standing paradox of oil and gas-producing communities relying on firewood for cooking.

Diri urged beneficiaries to embrace LPG as a cleaner and healthier alternative, advocated for a longer subsidised refill transition period to support sustainability, and highlighted Bayelsa’s strategic role in Nigeria’s gas industry.

He proposed that the refill arrangement be extended to a two-year grace period to enable states adequately plan, engage stakeholders and make budgetary provisions that would guarantee sustainability of the programme.

The governor noted that the state supplies a significant proportion of gas processed at the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny and is already using gas to power its state-owned gas turbine, improving electricity supply across the state.

Governor Diri said the programme marked a significant shift in the Federal Government’s approach to ensuring that communities that produce the nation’s oil and gas resources also enjoy the benefits of cleaner and safer energy.

He noted that for decades, communities in the Niger Delta suffered environmental degradation, poverty and neglect despite contributing immensely to the nation’s economy, stressing that the LPG initiative signals the beginning of a positive change.

According to him, the initiative aligned with the state’s commitment to improving the quality of life of its people.

The governor urged residents to embrace clean cooking energy and discard the misconception that food prepared with firewood was superior.

The governor reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government in expanding access to clean energy and improving the welfare of citizens.

In his address, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), described the launch as a historic milestone, noting that Bayelsa becomes the first state to host the state-level LPG cylinder distribution programme.

He said the programme was designed to make clean cooking energy more accessible to households, reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal, improve public health, protect the environment and stimulate economic opportunities along the LPG value chain.

He also assured beneficiaries that refill centres would be established closer to communities to make access to LPG more convenient, while reaffirming Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that gas prices remained affordable for ordinary Nigerians.

While delivering the keynote address, Ekpo, described the launch as “a landmark moment in our collective journey towards cleaner energy, healthier homes and a more prosperous nation.”

He reaffirmed that the programme is a practical expression of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at ensuring Nigeria’s over 215 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves delivered tangible benefits to citizens.

The minister announced that 27,000 LPG cylinders would be distributed across Bayelsa State under the programme, noting that each cylinder distributed represented one less household dependent on firewood and charcoal.

Ekpo said the distribution would lead to improved public health, reduced deforestation, lower greenhouse gas emissions and greater economic opportunities.

He added that increased LPG utilisation would stimulate local manufacturing, entrepreneurship and employment throughout the gas value chain and called on governments, industry players, development partners and communities to support the programme as it expands nationwide.

Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), commended the programme’s innovative cylinder recirculation model, structured refill support and barcode-enabled digital monitoring system, describing them as critical to sustainability, safety and consumer confidence.

He noted that the programme’s target of one million households annually and five million households by 2030 aligned with Nigeria’s objective of increasing domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes per annum by 2030.

Umar reaffirmed the commitment of NMDPRA to ensuring that LPG remained safe, available and affordable to all the beneficiaries.

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, who was represented by Fatima Farouk, Special Assistant to the President on Women Affairs, described the initiative as a women’s health, women’s livelihood and women’s dignity programme.

She noted that fewer than one in four Nigerians currently had access to clean cooking energy and highlighted the ministry’s partnership through the Nigeria for Women Programme.

The minister disclosed that the Nigeria for Women Programme has organised over 500,000 women into more than 26,000 savings and enterprise groups, the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention 774 Programme, and the Women in Nigeria’s Gas Sector Initiative to ensure women are both beneficiaries and entrepreneurs across the LPG value chain.

Ayodele Olawande, Minister of Youth Development, who was represented by Leah Toulope Akinfiresoye, his Senior Special Assistant, described the programme as a practical demonstration of the Renewed Hope Agenda and highlighted the opportunities it creates for young Nigerians through green jobs, entrepreneurship, climate action and skills development under the Ministry’s Circular Economy Youth Empowerment Initiative.

Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, commended all partners for their collaboration and encouraged beneficiaries to use the cylinders safely and become ambassadors of clean cooking within their communities.

Ed Ubong, Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, stated that the Federal Government aimed to transition five million Nigerian households to LPG for cooking by 2030 under the programme.

Ubong said the initiative targeted one million households annually and described Bayelsa as the ideal starting point for the programme as hosts to one of Africa’s largest gas processing facilities and holding a significant place in Nigeria’s oil and gas history.

Welcoming participants, Ubong described the programme as one of the Federal Government’s flagship interventions under the Decade of Gas Initiative.

He explained that Bayelsa was deliberately selected as the pilot state because it is the birthplace of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, where crude oil was first commercially discovered by Shell, and home to Africa’s largest gas processing plant.

Ubong noted that the programme’s sustainable design, featuring cylinder recirculation, digital monitoring, safety education and structured refill support will ensure long-term adoption of LPG across Nigeria.

Beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the Federal Government through the Decades of Gas Initiative for making them part of the programme.

The event featured the unveiling of the National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme, beneficiary sensitisation on LPG safety, cultural performances and the official flag-off of LPG cylinder distribution.

The programme attracted senior government officials, industry leaders, development partners, traditional rulers, women and youth groups, civil society organisations and beneficiaries from across Bayelsa State.

Following the successful launch in Bayelsa State, the National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme is expected to continue its nationwide state-by-state rollout.

Edu Antai, Lead Technology/Media Relations at the Decades of Gas Secretariat, disclosed that Delta State is scheduled to be the next state as the Federal Government vowed to advance its target of reaching five million Nigerian households with clean cooking energy by 2030.