Consumption of cooking gas (LPG) in Nigeria has exceeded 150,000 metric tonnes per year(MMTPA), more than doubling the demand five years ago.
In 2008, the national yearly demand was less than 60,000 MMTPA, according to the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas(NLNG), the country’s largest provider of the product.
A raft of intense publicity of the value of cooking gas over kerosene and firewood, as well as projects aimed at enhancing the supply of the product, have clearly led to the demand shift. Some of the entities who have been part of the campaign are Oando, the integrated energy company and the Lagos State Government.
On July 27, 2013, NLNG announced an increase in the quantity of LPG (cooking gas) it supplies to the Nigerian Market from 150,000 metric tonnes to 250,000 metric tonnes.
“This sixty-seven percent (67%) increase will enable ample stock of the alternate fuel and promote the use of cooking gas – necessary for its salutary effects on the environment, including its role in controlling deforestation”, the NLNG said in a release.
“Nigeria LNG Limited currently provides over 70% of cooking gas used in Nigeria, and the current increase arose from its recent survey of the domestic market”, which showed that the consumption had more than doubled the less than 60,000MTPA when NLNG intervened in 2008 with domestic supply of cooking gas.
“The increase is still far short of the Nigerian government’s aspiration for a per capita LPG demand of 3.7kg per person, or 576,000MMTPA”, says Jerry Tolkein, an energy analyst based in Cairo. “This requirement was meant to be met as of 2008”. The NLNG, however, notes that the trend is on course.
“Increased usage of LPG in the domestic market helps reduce environmental despoliation; create employment from new business opportunities; reduce respiratory health problems attributable to wood smoke and reduce poverty: low LPG usage is an index of poverty”.
Babs Omotowa, Managing Director, Nigeria LNG Limited said that he was extremely delighted that NLNG, true to its vision to help build a better Nigeria, is able to increase its supply of domestic gas. The assurance of steady supply should increase investors’ confidence in the cooking gas industry, an industry which currently needs investments in storage, transportation, and cylinders.
Omotowa stated that he was hopeful that the domestic market will grow even beyond cooking gas, to low-cost retrofitting of cars, to use both gasoline and natural gas; as LPG is less expensive than petrol.
NLNG is a Nigerian Joint Venture company whose shareholders are the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49%), Shell (25.6%), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15%) and ENI International (N.A.) S.a.r.l (10.4%).
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