By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Federal Government on Tuesday launched the National Grassroots Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Programme in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, marking the beginning of a nationwide state-by-state rollout aimed at expanding access to clean cooking energy.
The programme, implemented under the Decade of Gas initiative, is expected to provide LPG cylinders to about 27,000 households across Bayelsa as part of the Federal Government’s target of transitioning five million Nigerian households from firewood and other traditional cooking fuels to LPG by 2030.
Speaking during the flag-off in Yenagoa, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the initiative was designed to improve access to cleaner cooking energy, reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal, protect public health, promote environmental sustainability and create economic opportunities across the LPG value chain.
He said the programme reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources translated into tangible benefits for citizens.
Ekpo said Nigeria, with over 215 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, had a responsibility to harness the resource to improve livelihoods, expand access to clean energy and drive sustainable economic development.
He explained that the state level rollout followed an earlier zonal implementation carried out across the six geopolitical zones, with one state representing each zone, adding that the new phase would bring clean cooking solutions directly to communities nationwide.
“This occasion is not merely an event; it is a landmark moment in our collective journey towards cleaner energy, healthier homes, and a more prosperous nation.
“By taking this pioneering step, Bayelsa State has earned a distinguished place in history as the launch state for this transformative national initiative. At the heart of this programme lies a simple but powerful conviction: that the promise of Nigeria’s abundant natural gas must translate into dignity, safety, and improved wellbeing for our people.”
“No mother should be compelled to choose between feeding her family and protecting her health. No child should inhale harmful smoke because cleaner energy remains beyond reach.”
“No family should spend valuable hours searching for firewood when our nation is richly endowed with gas resources capable of powering safer and more dignified lives,” he said.
The minister said the programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Decade of Gas initiative, adding that government remained committed to making LPG more affordable for ordinary Nigerians.
Ekpo also said the Federal Government would establish LPG refill centres closer to beneficiary communities and provide the cost of six LPG refills for each beneficiary before they transition to purchasing the fuel independently.
The Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Mr Ed Ubong, said the programme aimed to transition one million households annually to LPG between now and 2030, with Bayelsa selected for the launch because of its strategic role in Nigeria’s gas industry.
Ubong said the programme sought to ensure that five million households adopted cleaner cooking energy by the end of the decade, beginning with 27,000 households in Bayelsa.
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa commended the Federal Government for introducing the initiative, describing it as a major intervention that would improve the welfare of residents, particularly vulnerable households that still rely on firewood for cooking.
He said the programme would help reduce indiscriminate tree felling, curb deforestation and address environmental challenges associated with the use of firewood and charcoal.
Diri, however, appealed to the Federal Government to address what he described as the longstanding imbalance in the distribution of revenues generated by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), noting that although Bayelsa supplies about 60 per cent of the gas to the company, the state does not receive personal income tax or other statutory revenues from its operations.
The National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme is supported by partners including Seplat Energy, ExxonMobil, NNPC, NLNG, Dangote Group, SPDC and TotalEnergies.
