The Federal Government has intensified its drive to expand access to clean cooking energy with the launch of the National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme (NGLPP) in Akwa Ibom State, targeting five million Nigerian households by 2030.

Launched on Monday in Uyo by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, the programme is the second activation in the nationwide rollout under the Decade of Gas Initiative, following its inauguration in Bayelsa State on July 28, 2026.

Speaking at the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre, Uyo, Ekpo said the programme was designed to move Nigerian households away from firewood, charcoal, kerosene and other traditional cooking fuels to cleaner, safer and more efficient LPG.

He said the initiative would cover the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, targeting one million households annually and five million homes by 2030, with the longer-term goal of reaching more than 10 million households by 2060.

According to him, Akwa Ibom has been allocated 27,000 filled LPG cylinders, the largest allocation under the programme so far, for distribution to verified beneficiaries across the state.

The Minister disclosed that beneficiaries would also receive up to six cylinder refills within a year, stressing that the initiative was designed not merely as a one-off distribution programme but as a sustainable transition to clean cooking.

“Over the next ten years, this programme carries a bold national ambition: to reach all thirty-six states and the FCT, support one million households annually, and place Nigeria firmly on the path to reaching five million homes by 2030,” Ekpo said.

He described the intervention as an investment in public health, environmental protection, economic opportunity and social wellbeing, urging governments, regulators, private sector operators, financial institutions, development partners, traditional institutions and community leaders to take ownership of the programme.

The Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr Ed Ubong, said Akwa Ibom was strategically important to Nigeria’s petroleum industry because of its significant oil production and vast natural gas reserves.

Ubong announced the distribution of the 27,000 LPG cylinders and said the programme would eventually cover all states of the federation and the FCT.

The Programme Lead, Decade of Gas NGLPP, Ramatu Abdullahi, said the state-by-state phase had introduced a sustainable Depot-Hub-Node cylinder exchange model, with refill points expected to be located within one to two kilometres of beneficiary communities.

She said a digital platform would track cylinders, refills and household adoption, while beneficiaries would receive up to six free refills to encourage sustained use of LPG.

Representing the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure, Engr Francis Alabo Ogaree, described the cylinder recirculation system, refill support and barcode-enabled monitoring as key features of the programme.

He said the initiative supports Nigeria’s ambition of increasing domestic LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes annually by 2030.

Also speaking, Governor Umo Eno commended the Federal Government and Ekpo for bringing the programme to Akwa Ibom, describing it as an intervention that goes beyond cylinder distribution to improving lives, protecting the environment and creating economic opportunities for thousands of households.

Eno said the state was positioning itself as a destination for gas-based investment, identifying opportunities in LPG bottling plants, cylinder manufacturing and maintenance, gas storage, transportation, logistics, gas processing and other energy infrastructure.

The Minister also launched the Rural Women Empowerment Initiative for Entrepreneurship Development, under which 3,000 women will receive ₦100,000 each, amounting to ₦300 million in direct support.

He said the empowerment package would enable beneficiaries to strengthen their businesses, invest in agriculture, increase household income and stimulate economic activities in rural communities.

Ekpo said women empowerment and clean cooking were interconnected because both begin at the household level and generate wider benefits for health, enterprise and family welfare.

He urged beneficiaries to use the opportunities responsibly and become ambassadors of safe LPG use, enterprise and community development.

The event attracted senior government officials, lawmakers, traditional rulers, industry operators, women and youth groups, development partners and other stakeholders.

With the Akwa Ibom activation, the Federal Government’s state-by-state rollout of the NGLPP has moved beyond its inaugural Bayelsa launch, as Nigeria steps up efforts to make clean cooking energy accessible to millions of households.