The Federal Government has directed regulators to crack down on hoarding and diversion of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. The move follows a surge in cooking gas prices and an emergency stakeholders meeting held on June 22, 2026.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo issued the directive at the meeting in Abuja. He instructed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and other bodies to intensify surveillance, investigate manipulation and sanction offenders.
NMDPRA Chief Executive Rabiu Umar said the authority would issue import permits to close a projected 165,000-metric-tonne supply gap in the third quarter of 2026. Supply sufficiency has already improved from 11 days to 22 days after recent import arrivals.
Umar added that daily supply reached 5,040 metric tonnes as of June 19. Anoh Gas is scheduled to begin deliveries of 50 metric tonnes per day from July 2026.
The authority plans to audit off-takers, deploy tracking technology and support infrastructure expansion. Ekpo said the government remains committed to prioritising domestic LPG for local consumption.
