The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has urged the Federal Government to find a long-term solution to the country’s soaring cooking gas prices.
Mr Abideen Olatunbosun, National President of NALPGAM, made the request at the association’s 36th Annual General Meeting in Ibadan.
Olatunbosun voiced fear that if growing gas prices are not addressed, gas will become a commodity available only to the wealthy.
According to him, the increase in gas prices is a source of concern for everyone, but he has called for a coordinated effort between the government and the private sector to create crucial gas infrastructure.
Prof. Sunday Isehunwa, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan, stated that LPG holds great promise for increased home gas usage in Nigeria.
He said that cooking gas will also help the country achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
According to Isehunwa, additional LPG supply is required to fulfill rising demand and to restrict harsh tactics by unscrupulous operators.
In addition, Mr Ogbugo Ukoha of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) stated that the current deregulation strategy would result in a more reflecting pricing of petroleum products.
Ukoha, the NMDPRA’s Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, stated that current statistics showed that local gas supply has surpassed import supplies.
He stated that essential infrastructure investment must be made to meet the difficulties of gas reserves in order to accomplish smooth product distribution.
“Our focus is to make necessary investment in gas infrastructure to increase LPG supply so as to force its price down for Nigerians,” Ukoha stated.
