By Kelechi Onwujuba 

The Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to strengthen engagement with gas producers, marketers and other industry stakeholders to increase the importation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, in a bid to address supply shortfalls and stabilise prices across the country.


The directive was disclosed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, in a statement issued on Monday and made available through his spokesman, Louis Ibah.


According to the minister, the government is responding to growing concerns over the recent rise in cooking gas prices and remains committed to ensuring an adequate, reliable and affordable supply of gas for households, industries and power generation nationwide.

•Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo

He revealed that LPG marketers have pledged to increase import volumes to complement domestic production, while deliveries from the newly developed Seplat gas facility, expected to commence in July, will further strengthen national supply.


Ekpo also assured Nigerians that no producer is exporting LPG volumes earmarked for the domestic market, stressing that regulatory safeguards remain in place to prioritise local consumption.


“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,” he said.


The minister explained that the recent increase in cooking gas prices was driven by market realities, including foreign exchange volatility, rising logistics costs, infrastructure challenges and fluctuations in global LPG prices.


He noted that these factors should not be viewed as a failure of government policy, pointing instead to ongoing interventions aimed at stabilising the domestic LPG market.


One of such measures, he said, is the government’s directive that all LPG produced in Nigeria should be prioritised for local consumption, a policy he noted has helped strengthen domestic supply, reduce dependence on imports and improve market resilience.


The development comes amid fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed that the average retail price of a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas rose from N7,655.73 in March 2026 to N8,706.93 in April 2026, representing a 13.73 per cent month-on-month increase.


The NBS also reported that the average price of a 5kg cylinder increased by 10.42 per cent year-on-year from N7,855.60 recorded in April 2025.

Similarly, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder climbed by 13.89 per cent from N19,652.83 in March 2026 to N22,382.20 in April 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the price rose by 10.43 per cent from N20,268.06 recorded in April 2025.


The latest figures underscore the pressure on consumers despite government efforts to improve supply and moderate prices in the domestic LPG market.