The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced plans to issue and closely monitor import permits to bridge an estimated 165,000-metric-tonne Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply shortfall in the third quarter of 2026, as part of efforts to tame cooking gas prices across the country.
The Authority Chief Executive, Rabiu Umar, disclosed this on Monday during an emergency stakeholders’ meeting convened in Abuja by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, to address the recent surge in LPG prices.
Umar described imports as the most immediate solution to the anticipated supply deficit, while outlining a combination of short- and medium-term measures aimed at boosting domestic availability of cooking gas and restoring market stability.
According to him, engagements with terminal operators, domestic producers and suppliers have already improved national LPG supply sufficiency from 11 days to 22 days.
He also said the authority was intensifying efforts to eliminate profiteering within the distribution chain.
“The projected third-quarter supply gap is 165,000 metric tonnes. NMDPRA will issue import permits and closely monitor their performance. There will also be the injection of LPG export volumes into the domestic market,” Umar said.
He disclosed that Anoh Gas is expected to commence supplying about 50 metric tonnes of LPG daily from July 2026, while additional locally produced LPG currently earmarked for export would be redirected to domestic consumers.
To improve distribution efficiency and pricing, Umar said the authority would conduct an audit of companies lifting LPG from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
He added that the regulator had stepped up monitoring and enforcement across the LPG value chain to curb product diversion and other market abuses.
Beyond immediate imports, Umar outlined broader reforms designed to strengthen Nigeria’s LPG market. These include expanding storage terminals and distribution infrastructure, accelerating domestic gas processing projects, prioritizing local LPG supply, facilitating access to foreign exchange for critical imports, deploying technology to monitor product movement, and introducing a tariff regulatory framework to encourage fair pricing.
He also said the authority would leverage private sector investments in LPG storage facilities and cylinder manufacturing while providing infrastructure support through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF).
“Our objective is to return LPG prices to levels recorded about a year ago and ensure that locally produced LPG remains cheaper than imported volumes,” he said, adding that the authority would continue engaging industry players, including Chevron, to increase supplies to the domestic market.
In a separate presentation, the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retail Infrastructure at NMDPRA, Ogbugo Ukoha, attributed the recent spike in cooking gas prices to inadequate domestic supply, reduced imports, profiteering and persistent distribution bottlenecks.
Although domestic producers have been directed to prioritize local supply, Ukoha lamented that some volumes continue to be exported, limiting availability within the country.
He revealed that regulatory interventions, including the arrival of four import cargoes totalling approximately 16,000 metric tonnes, had raised average daily LPG supply from 4,262 metric tonnes in May to 5,040 metric tonnes as of June 19, helping to improve national supply sufficiency.
With supply expected to increase further in the coming weeks, Ukoha warned marketers against exploiting consumers through excessive pricing.
He said the authority would accelerate the licensing of new LPG storage and blending facilities, expand distribution infrastructure and fast-track domestic gas processing projects to improve local production.
Ukoha expressed confidence that the combined measures would significantly increase LPG availability and begin driving down cooking gas prices from July, providing relief to households and businesses affected by recent price increases.
