The Federal Government has convened an emergency meeting with security agencies and key stakeholders in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector to tackle hoarding, cross-border diversion, and other practices contributing to rising cooking gas prices across the country.
The meeting, organised by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, brought together representatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police Force, regulators, producers, marketers, terminal operators, and industry associations.
According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the engagement was prompted by recent increases in LPG prices and aimed at identifying solutions to improve supply, affordability, and market stability.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described cooking gas as a vital household energy source and a key element of Nigeria’s energy transition strategy. She noted that escalating LPG prices were placing additional financial strain on families and increasing the cost of living.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Tinubu had expressed concern over the impact of soaring gas prices on citizens and directed relevant agencies to take immediate steps to address the challenge.
Ekpo stressed the need for stronger logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing systems to ensure that efforts to boost supply translate into lower costs for consumers.
The Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Rabiu Umar, acknowledged that high importation and landing costs continue to influence market prices. However, he expressed confidence that ongoing interventions across the LPG value chain would help ease pressure on the market in the near future.
In a presentation delivered by the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, the regulator identified inadequate infrastructure, supply shortages, logistics bottlenecks, market distortions, and global disruptions as major drivers of rising LPG prices.
Ukoha disclosed that recent engagements with industry operators had yielded positive results, with national LPG supply sufficiency increasing from 11 days to 22 days. He added that average daily supply rose from 4,262 metric tonnes in May to 5,040 metric tonnes in June 2026.
Stakeholders at the meeting pledged support for government efforts while drawing attention to challenges affecting storage, transportation, distribution, and overall market efficiency.
Among the measures agreed upon were stricter market surveillance, stronger enforcement against illegal practices, expansion of storage and distribution facilities, increased domestic production, enhanced product-tracking mechanisms, better access to market information, and deeper collaboration among industry players.
Closing the meeting, the minister directed stakeholders to take urgent action to improve product availability, eliminate inefficiencies in the supply chain, and protect consumers from excessive price increases. He stated that progress would be measured by improved LPG supply, more efficient distribution, and reduced pressure on prices nationwide.