Peter Uzoho
The federal government has taken its National Grassroots Liquefied Petroleum Gas Penetration Programme (NGLPP) to Akwa Ibom State, marking the second phase of a nationwide rollout designed to deepen clean cooking energy access and boost domestic gas utilisation.
The launch, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) and the Decade of Gas Initiative, positions Akwa Ibom as a strategic hub given its significant oil output and large natural gas reserves.
Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr. Ed Ubong, said the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to expand access to cleaner energy at the household level.
Under the plan, the government targets reaching one million households annually and five million households by 2030, to help lift national LPG consumption to five million metric tonnes per year within the same timeframe.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the programme reflects the Renewed Hope Agenda’s focus on women’s empowerment, grassroots prosperity and domestic gas utilisation.
Ekpo formally launched two interventions in the state: the Akwa Ibom activation of the NGLPP; and the Rural Women Empowerment Initiative for Entrepreneurship Development, under which 3,000 women will receive N100,000 each, amounting to N300 million in direct support to strengthen businesses, agriculture and household incomes.