Nigerians already stretched by the cost of living are now facing another squeeze — cooking gas prices are rising, and the government suspects foul play.
On Monday, June 23, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources called an emergency stakeholders’ summit in Abuja to address LPG hoarding and the illegal diversion of cooking gas to neighbouring countries.
The meeting, convened by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), drew together an unusually wide circle of enforcement and industry actors.
The Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Police Force all attended, alongside producers, marketers, terminal operators, regulators, and industry associations.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, set the tone early. She described LPG as a critical energy source for households and a cornerstone of Nigeria’s energy transition agenda.
Furthermore, she was direct about the human cost.
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“Rising LPG prices are putting additional pressure on household budgets and increasing the cost of essential goods,” she said, calling for collective action to restore affordable access to cooking gas.
Tinubu Orders Action as Supply Gap Narrows
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, told the gathering that President Bola Tinubu is personally concerned about the price surge and has directed relevant agencies to act without delay.
Ekpo added that fixing supply alone would not be enough.
“Increased supply must be supported by efficient logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing mechanisms to ensure consumers benefit from interventions across the sector,” he said.
NMDPRA Authority Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu Umar, was measured but optimistic. He acknowledged that high landing costs continue to drive prices upward but said recent interventions were already producing results.
The numbers back that up. Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Ogbugo Ukoha, presented data showing that national LPG supply sufficiency had jumped from 11 days to 22 days.
Meanwhile, average daily LPG supply climbed from 4,262 metric tonnes in May 2026 to 5,040 metric tonnes in June 2026.
Despite those gains, Ukoha’s presentation identified infrastructure gaps, domestic supply constraints, logistics bottlenecks, market distortions, and global supply disruptions as the key pressure points keeping prices high for consumers.
What the Government Has Agreed to Do
Stakeholders left the summit with a concrete action list.
Agreed measures include intensified market monitoring, stronger enforcement against malpractice and illegal diversion, expansion of storage and distribution infrastructure, increased domestic LPG production, and enhanced product tracking systems to follow gas movements across the supply chain.
The DSS and EFCC’s involvement signals that the government is treating hoarding and cross-border diversion as law enforcement matters, not merely market inefficiencies.
In his closing remarks, Minister Ekpo directed all stakeholders to take immediate steps.
“Success would be measured by increased LPG availability, improved distribution efficiency, and reduced price pressures nationwide,” he said.
For millions of Nigerian households that rely on cooking gas daily, the true test of Monday’s summit will be felt at the cylinder — not in the conference room.
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