The Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to intensify engagement with gas producers, marketers and other stakeholders to boost the importation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas.
The government said the move was aimed at sustaining supply and improving market stability across the country amid concerns over the recent increase in cooking gas prices.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Monday, June 15.
The statement was signed by the minister’s spokesman, Louis Ibah.
Ekpo said he was aware of the concerns raised by Nigerians over the rising cost of cooking gas.
He assured households, industries and power generation users that the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring adequate, reliable and affordable gas supply across the country.
According to the statement, the government has directed the NMDPRA to continue discussions with relevant players in the sector to increase supply and reduce pressure on the domestic market.
“Marketers have committed to increasing import volumes to complement domestic production,” the statement read in part.
The minister added that the expected commencement of LPG deliveries from the new Seplat gas facility in July would significantly boost national supply.
Ekpo also said no producer was exporting LPG volumes meant for the Nigerian domestic market.
He said regulatory measures were already in place to ensure that local demand remained the priority.
“The outlook for LPG supply remains positive, and the Federal Government will continue to pursue measures that enhance availability, affordability, and long-term energy security for Nigerian consumers,” the minister said.
He explained that the government would continue to monitor the market and strengthen interventions aimed at stabilising supply and prices.
The minister said the recent rise in cooking gas prices was largely caused by market factors.
He listed the factors to include foreign exchange volatility, rising logistics costs, infrastructure constraints and fluctuations in international LPG prices.
Ekpo cautioned that the price increase should not be interpreted as a failure of government policy.
He said the Federal Government had already taken steps to prioritise local consumption of LPG produced in Nigeria as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen the domestic market.
According to him, the policy has improved supply and helped the market withstand external pressures.
“This policy has already strengthened domestic supply, reduced dependence on imports, and improved market resilience,” he stated.
The development followed a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that the average price of 5kg of cooking gas rose from ₦7,655.73 in March to ₦8,706.93 in April.
In its Cooking Gas Price Watch for April, released in Abuja, the NBS said the April price represented a 13.73 per cent increase compared with the price recorded in March.
The bureau also said the average price of 5kg of cooking gas rose year-on-year by 10.42 per cent from ₦7,855.60 recorded in April 2025.
The NBS report further showed that the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas increased by 13.89 per cent month-on-month.
According to the report, the price rose from ₦19,652.83 in March 2026 to ₦22,382.20 in April 2026.
“While on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price for 12.5kg cooking gas increased by 10.43 per cent from ₦20,268.06 in April 2025,” the report stated.
