The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo, says the federal government is considering halting the export of gas in other to ensure local sufficiency.
The minister spoke following the high cost of cooking gas across the country, blamed on the insufficient supply of the product by marketers.
For instance, a 12.5 kilogramme cylinder is now sold for N14,000, in most part of the country while marketers of the product have predicted a potential hike in price to as much as N18,000 before the middle of the year.
Not a few Nigerians insist that they should enjoy the benefit of the country as one of the major gas producers in the world.
Majority of Nigerians use gas for domestic and commercial cooking.
Following the high cost of Kerosene in the few years ago, many Nigerians migrated to gas for their domestic and commercial cooking, particularly after the government said it would subsidize the price for gas to make it affordable for Nigerians.
Obviously, that has not happened as the price of gas has now gone beyond the affordability of not a few Nigerians who are have been forced to seek other means.
Ekpo said in Abuja yesterday that the government has directed LPG producers to stop exporting gas as part of the key decisions to mitigate the high cost of the commodity.
The minister also some international oil companies such as Mobil, Shell and Chevron are currently interfacing with the federal government on how to bring the price of cooking gas down.
He said: “On the issue of LPG (cooking gas), we are interacting with the critical sectors to ensure that there is no exportation of LPG. All LPG produced within the country will have to be domesticated. And when this is done, the volume will increase and, of course, the price will automatically crash.
“I’m in contact with the regulator, NMDPRA, we have meetings almost on a daily basis and with the producers of the gas like Mobil, Chevron and Shell. So there is that hope that things will turn around.
“And that is also why we are having this engagement to know exactly what the problems are, so that we can address them once and for all.”
