FG launches LPG cylinder distribution scheme in Bayelsa, targets 2,700 households

FG launches LPG cylinder distribution scheme in Bayelsa, targets 2,700 households

The federal government has launched the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder distribution programme in Bayelsa state.

Ekperikpe Ekpo, minister of state for petroleum resources (gas), launched the ‘decade of gas: national grassroots LPG penetration programme’ on Tuesday in Yenoaga, Bayelsa state capital.

Speaking at the launch of the programme, Ekpo described the initiative as a historic milestone in Nigeria’s drive towards clean energy adoption.

Ekpo said the initiative was designed to improve access to clean cooking energy, cut reliance on firewood and charcoal, promote public health, protect the environment, and drive economic opportunities across the LPG value chain.

He noted that the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, adding that about 27,000 Bayelsa residents would benefit from the first phase of the scheme.

“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,” Ekpo said.

“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.”

The minister assured beneficiaries that LPG refill centres would be established closer to their communities to improve access to cooking gas.

He added that the federal government would cover the cost of six refills for each beneficiary before they transition to purchasing the fuel independently.

Ekpo also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making LPG affordable for ordinary Nigerians.

Also speaking, Ed Ubong, coordinating director of the ‘Decade of Gas’ initiative, said the federal government aims to transition five million Nigerian households from firewood and other traditional cooking fuels to LPG by 2030.

He said the programme targets one million households each year and was launched in Bayelsa in recognition of the state’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s gas industry.

Ubong noted that Bayelsa hosts one of Africa’s largest gas processing facilities and holds a significant place in Nigeria’s oil and gas history.

Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa state, commended Tinubu for introducing the LPG penetration initiative, describing it as a bold intervention aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians, particularly vulnerable households that still rely on firewood for cooking.

He said the initiative would help reduce indiscriminate tree felling, curb deforestation, and mitigate the environmental impact of using firewood and charcoal.

The governor, however, urged the federal government to address what he described as the longstanding injustice in the distribution of revenues generated by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company.

Diri said although about 60 percent of the gas supplied to NLNG comes from Bayelsa, the state does not receive personal income tax or other statutory revenues generated from the company’s operations.

The governor appealed to Tinubu to correct the anomaly and ensure Bayelsa receives its fair share of the revenues generated from its abundant gas resources.