FG Unleashes EFCC, DSS, Police On Cooking Gas Hoarders As Prices Soar

The Federal Government has convened an emergency stakeholders engagement involving key security and regulatory agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force, in a decisive move to tackle the rising cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and alleged market manipulation.

The intervention, led by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, is aimed at addressing growing concerns over hoarding, diversion of cooking gas to neighbouring countries, and other supply chain distortions believed to be driving recent price increases nationwide.

According to a statement issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the emergency meeting also brought together regulators, producers, marketers, terminal operators and industry associations to assess the root causes of price escalation and agree on immediate corrective measures.

The authority said the engagement became necessary following recent spikes in LPG prices, which have placed additional pressure on household consumption and contributed to rising living costs across the country.

Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a critical household energy source and a key component of Nigeria’s energy transition strategy.

She warned that rising prices were already affecting household budgets and increasing the cost of essential goods, stressing the need for urgent and coordinated intervention across the sector.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, in his remarks, said President Bola Tinubu was deeply concerned about the impact of the price surge on Nigerians and had directed relevant agencies to take proactive steps to stabilize the market.

He emphasized that increasing supply alone would not be sufficient unless supported by efficient logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing systems that ensure consumers benefit directly from reforms in the sector.

The Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Mallam Rabiu Umar, noted that while high landing costs remain a major driver of LPG pricing, ongoing regulatory and supply-side interventions are expected to ease pressure in the coming weeks.

He added that the authority is working closely with producers and other stakeholders to improve domestic supply, strengthen oversight, and enhance market stability.

A technical presentation by the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Ogbugo Ukoha, identified infrastructure gaps, domestic supply constraints, logistics bottlenecks, market distortions and global supply disruptions as key challenges affecting LPG pricing in Nigeria.

However, he noted some improvements, revealing that national LPG supply sufficiency has increased from 11 days to 22 days, while average daily supply rose from 4,262 metric tonnes in May 2026 to 5,040 metric tonnes in June 2026.

Stakeholders at the meeting pledged support for government efforts but highlighted persistent challenges affecting storage capacity, transportation efficiency and distribution networks across the country.

The agreed measures include intensified market monitoring, stronger enforcement against hoarding and other malpractices, expansion of storage and distribution infrastructure, increased domestic production, improved product tracking systems and enhanced access to real-time market data.

Others include deeper collaboration among industry players and tighter regulatory coordination to stabilize the supply chain.

In his closing remarks, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) directed all stakeholders to take immediate action to improve supply and eliminate inefficiencies, stressing that government’s success would be measured by increased availability, improved distribution efficiency and reduced price pressure on consumers nationwide.