Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government, amid the persistent shortage and soaring prices of cooking gas across the country, to accelerate investments in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure to boost domestic supply and affordability.
Naijaonpoint reports that the call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 4th Biennial International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology (ICHST), organised by the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Effurun, Delta State.
Participants urged the government to compel LPG importers to establish processing and bottling plants locally, in line with the “Decade of Gas (2020–2030)” policy.
The communiqué stated, “Considering the government policy of 2020–2030 as the Decade of Gas, the government should speed up CNG investment and ensure all LPG importers set up processing plants in Nigeria so that the commodity will be readily available and at an affordable price.”
Stakeholders further called for stronger investment in CNG to serve as an alternative fuel for transportation and industrial energy.
They stressed that Nigeria’s estimated 207 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves must be harnessed to drive economic diversification and industrial growth.
They also advocated the adoption of digitalisation and innovative technologies to maximise gas use across industries, agriculture, and ICT, while urging liberalisation of the gas market to attract private-sector participation.
The communiqué recommended the establishment of Centres of Excellence at PTI and Nigerian universities to close manpower and technology gaps in the hydrocarbon sector.
It also emphasised closer collaboration between academia and industry to produce a workforce that aligns with global energy transition goals.
Participants underscored the need for transparency and ethical leadership in managing Africa’s hydrocarbon resources, describing transparency as the “currency of trust.” They also called for deeper intra-African collaboration to strengthen regional refining capacity, gas utilisation, and infrastructure expansion.
Declaring the conference closed, PTI Principal and Chief Executive, Engr. Dr. Samuel Onoji, said he was optimistic that the resolutions would shape government policy and reinforce Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa’s energy transition.
The conference, themed “Transforming Africa’s Hydrocarbon Sector: Balancing Growth, Environment, and Governance,” brought together experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to deliberate on strategies for governance, technology, and sustainable energy development.
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