The Federal Government has launched the National Grassroots LPG Access Programme (NGLPP) in Akwa Ibom State, distributing 27,000 filled cooking gas cylinders to women across the state, as part of a nationwide push to expand clean cooking access and reduce reliance on traditional fuels.
Akwa Ibom becomes the second state to benefit from the rollout after Bayelsa State, according to a report by Daily Trust. The initiative is implemented through the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) and the Decade of Gas Initiative, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's broader clean cooking agenda.
Programme Targets One Million Homes Annually
The programme aims to reach one million households annually, five million homes by 2030, and more than 10 million homes by 2060. Speaking at the launch in Uyo, Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Ed Ubong, described Akwa Ibom as strategically important to Nigeria's oil and gas industry due to its significant oil production and natural gas reserves.
Ubong confirmed that the 27,000 cylinders would be distributed to women in the state, adding that the programme would eventually cover all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Free Refills and Digital Monitoring
The Decade of Gas NGLPP Programme Lead, Ramatu Abdullahi, said the initiative would operate a Depot-Hub-Node cylinder exchange model, making LPG refill points accessible within one to two kilometres of participating communities. Beneficiaries are eligible for up to six free LPG refills within one year, and a digital monitoring platform will track cylinders, refills, and household adoption.
Representing the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Executive Director of Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure, Francis Alabo Ogaree, commended the programme's emphasis on sustainable LPG adoption. He highlighted cylinder recirculation, refill support, and barcode-enabled monitoring as key features designed to improve accountability.
N300 Million Support for Rural Women
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the programme reflects the administration's commitment to women's empowerment, grassroots prosperity, and greater domestic utilisation of Nigeria's gas resources. He also launched the Rural Women Empowerment Initiative for Entrepreneurship Development, under which 3,000 women will receive N100,000 each, a report by Punch said.
The N300 million intervention is designed to support businesses, agriculture, household incomes, and other rural economic activities. Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno welcomed the programme, saying it could improve livelihoods, protect the environment, and create economic opportunities for thousands of households.
Eno added that the state was positioning itself to attract investments in LPG bottling, cylinder manufacturing and maintenance, gas storage, transportation, logistics, and processing.
Broader Push for Clean Energy
The launch featured LPG safety sensitisation, the flag-off of cylinder distribution, and the rollout of the rural women entrepreneurship initiative. According to Ogaree, the initiative supports Nigeria's ambition of increasing domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes annually by 2030.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal Government removed import duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on cooking gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), and electric vehicles under the Presidential Gas for Growth Initiative, a move that has already reflected in lower LPG prices announced by dealers. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) unveiled the tax incentives on Thursday, July 30, 2026, as part of efforts to reduce transport and energy costs while accelerating the country's transition away from petrol.
