‘In a country that has more gas reserves’— Nigerians react as FG orders more imports to tackle rising cost of cooking gas

Rukayat Badmus 18:14 - 17 June 2026

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Nigerians react as FG orders increase in cooking gas imports nationwide

Nigerians have reacted to the Federal Government's directive for increased cooking gas imports, questioning why a country with huge natural gas reserves still relies on imports to address rising LPG prices.

FG has directed marketers to increase cooking gas imports to address supply shortages and rising prices.

The government says foreign exchange volatility, logistics costs and infrastructure challenges are driving LPG price increases.

Nigerians questioned the decision, arguing that the country has vast natural gas reserves that should meet local demand.

Officials say new gas projects are expected to boost supply and help stabilise prices in the coming months.

The Federal Government's decision to direct marketers to increase imports of cooking gas to address supply shortages and rising prices has sparked criticism from Nigerians, many of whom argue that a country blessed with vast natural gas reserves should not be relying on imports to meet domestic demand.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, recently announced that marketers had been directed to increase imports of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, to bridge supply gaps and help stabilise prices across the country.

The directive comes amid rising cooking gas prices that have put additional pressure on households already grappling with high food and transportation costs.

Defending the move, Ekpo said recent increases in cooking gas prices were driven by factors such as foreign exchange volatility, rising logistics costs, infrastructure challenges and fluctuations in international LPG prices.

The minister stressed that these factors should not be interpreted as evidence that government policies in the gas sector had failed.

However, the announcement triggered strong reactions online, with many Nigerians questioning why imports were being considered in a country widely regarded as one of Africa's largest holders of natural gas reserves.

Reacting to the development, one user wrote:

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"In a country where we have more gas reserves than oil, a nation is saying people should import? What happens to opening up more LNG plants across the country for this thing to be in abundance?"

Another user criticised the government's approach, arguing that more emphasis should be placed on increasing domestic supply rather than imports.

"If we have a large reserve and we export more than 942 billion scf and yet the minister's solution is to import instead of cut export and increase what's available for consumption. I can see their priorities are just upside down. This isn't a renewed hope, Nigeria is screwed."

Nigeria possesses one of the largest proven natural gas reserves in the world, estimated at more than 200 trillion cubic feet. Over the years, successive governments have promoted gas as a cleaner and cheaper alternative to firewood, kerosene and other cooking fuels.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo

Despite these vast reserves, stakeholders have repeatedly pointed to infrastructure deficits, inadequate processing facilities, transportation challenges and limited domestic gas utilisation as major obstacles preventing Nigerians from fully benefiting from the country's gas wealth.

The government maintains that local supply remains a priority and has insisted that LPG produced within Nigeria is meant to serve the domestic market first before exports are considered.

Officials also expressed optimism that additional supplies expected from new gas projects, including output from Seplat Energy's facilities, could help improve availability and ease price pressures in the coming months.

For many Nigerians, however, the latest import directive has reignited a familiar debate about why a resource-rich country continues to struggle with shortages and rising costs of products that are abundantly available within its borders.