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 address alleged hoarding and diversion of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to neighbouring countries.
The meeting, convened by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, followed the recent surge in cooking gas prices and formed part of coordinated efforts to stabilise supply, improve affordability, and strengthen market oversight.
According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the engagement brought together key government officials, regulators, producers, marketers, terminal operators, and industry associations to identify causes of price increases and agree on corrective measures.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a critical household energy source and a key component of Nigeria’s energy transition plan.
She warned that rising prices are increasing financial pressure on households and raising the cost of essential goods, stressing the need for coordinated action across the value chain.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Tinubu has expressed concern over the situation and directed relevant agencies to take urgent steps to address it.
He stressed that improving supply must be matched with efficient logistics, better infrastructure, and transparent pricing systems to ensure consumers benefit from interventions.
The Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Rabiu Umar, noted that while high landing costs continue to affect pricing, ongoing interventions are expected to ease market pressures in the coming weeks.
He added that the regulator is working closely with producers and stakeholders to boost domestic supply and improve market monitoring.
In a presentation by the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, the agency identified infrastructure gaps, supply constraints, logistics bottlenecks, market distortions, and global disruptions as key drivers of price instability.
However, he noted some improvement in supply levels, with national LPG sufficiency rising from 11 days to 22 days. Average daily supply also increased 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 acknowledging challenges in storage, transport, distribution, and overall market efficiency.
Agreed measures include intensified market surveillance, stricter enforcement against malpractice, expansion of storage infrastructure, improved tracking systems, enhanced domestic production, and better access to real-time market data.
Authorities also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration across the LPG value chain to ensure stability.
In his closing remarks, the Minister directed all stakeholders to take immediate steps to improve supply and eliminate inefficiencies in the sector.
He stated that progress would be measured by increased LPG availability, improved distribution efficiency, and a sustained reduction in price pressures across the country.
