RismadarVoice Reporters, July 29, 2026
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said no Nigerian family should still rely on firewood for cooking, stressing that the country’s vast natural gas reserves should guarantee access to cleaner and safer cooking energy.
Ekpo made the remarks on Tuesday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the launch of the National Grassroots Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Programme, a Federal Government initiative aimed at expanding access to cooking gas across the country.
The programme, implemented under the Decade of Gas Initiative in partnership with major energy companies including NNPC Ltd, NLNG, Seplat Energy, ExxonMobil, Dangote Group, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and TotalEnergies, is designed to promote the adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a cleaner and more efficient alternative to firewood and other traditional cooking fuels.
Speaking at the event, the minister said Nigeria’s abundant gas resources should translate into improved living standards, healthier homes and greater energy security for citizens.
“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.
“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,” Ekpo said.
He noted that Nigeria possesses over 215 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, making it one of the world’s most gas-rich nations, and said the Federal Government is determined to ensure the resource benefits ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, unlocking the country’s gas potential remains central to the Decade of Gas Initiative, which seeks to drive industrialisation, improve energy security and stimulate economic growth.
“Our solemn responsibility is to ensure that this national endowment is converted into tangible benefits for our citizens. This is the driving philosophy behind the Decade of Gas Initiative and our commitment to making natural gas the fuel that powers Nigeria’s industrialisation, energy security and shared economic prosperity,” he said.
Ekpo explained that the Bayelsa launch marks the beginning of a nationwide state-by-state rollout after the successful completion of the programme’s pilot phase across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
He said the initial zonal implementation provided valuable lessons that would guide the nationwide expansion.
“With Bayelsa State as the starting point, we are now moving from regional implementation to a broader state-by-state deployment designed to reach households more directly and more effectively. This marks a decisive step towards ensuring that the benefits of clean cooking are felt where they matter most—in our homes, our communities and the daily lives of our citizens,” he added.
The minister reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to leveraging Nigeria’s gas resources to improve the quality of life of citizens while promoting cleaner energy and sustainable development.
Also speaking at the event, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri welcomed the initiative, describing it as a significant step towards addressing the environmental and economic challenges faced by communities in the Niger Delta.
Diri, who flagged off the free distribution of LPG cylinders to residents, said the programme would help reduce dependence on firewood while improving the welfare of households across the state.
“We have cried, we have fought against environmental degradation and the abandonment of our people. While the cities are built with money from our soil, we languish in poverty. We use firewood to cook, while they use gas from our land to cook.
“But today, the story is changing. It is time for us to think about the people of the Niger Delta and give back to the people of the Niger Delta. That is what we are witnessing today,” the governor said.
Diri added that he had long considered ways to encourage residents to adopt cooking gas and described the Federal Government’s intervention as timely.
“This will be the beginning of getting our women and our people out of firewood cooking,” he said.
