NLNG Plans to Increase Supplies of LPG to Domestic Market by 100, 000MT Commended

………….by Abisoye Shola…….
The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited plans to increase supplies of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) into the domestic market with 100, 000 metric tons from 350,000 metric tons to 450,000 metric tons next year has been commended.

The Managing Director of NLNG, Mr. Tony Attah had said that the plan by his company to increase supplies to domestic market was to further meet the increasing domestic demand of LPG in the Nigerian market.

The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) made the commendation in Lagos on Wednesday by its President, Mr Nosakhare Ogieva-Okunbor.

The Managing Director of NLNG, Mr Tony Attah, also said that the increment was further aimed at supporting the Federal Government’s plan to deepen LPG (cooking gas) penetration in Nigeria.

Ogieva-Okunbor said with the involvement of NLNG in LPG industry in Nigeria, consumption of about 50,000MT in 2007 grew to about 900,000MT in 2019.

” As of today, with the massive investment inflow, strong advocacy and awareness campaigns on the part of NALPGAM, federal government agencies, industry stakeholders as well as government’s incentives, the consumption and usage has grown exponentially.

“By the end of year 2020, it is estimated that domestic demand for LPG would have exceeded one million metric tonnes, ” he said.

Ogieva-Okunbor, however, noted that multinational and other indigenous companies involved in gas production should be mandated to sell to the domestic market, which fortunately has the capacity to take up available production.

According to him, this will improve LPG availability which will ultimately lead to price stability.

Ogieva-Okunbor said Nigeria produces about four million Metric Tonnes of LPG per annum, which was largely for exports.

He said : “Currently, the NLNG supplies about 40 per cent of LPG in the domestic market while the remaining 60 per cent is sourced by individual investors via imports.

“With the emergence of many private storage terminals in the country, sourcing of products have been wholly and solely depend on imported LPG.

“The implication of this is that much pressure is put on the country’s foreign exchange to import a product that is abundantly available in the country.

“We therefore want to specially appeal to NLNG to further consider increasing the domestic supply of LPG to the level that will reverse the current trend of Nigeria market depending substantially on imported LPG product.”