Nigeria’s LPG marketers seek tighter safety rules, digital controls

Nigeria’s liquefied petroleum gas marketers are pressing operators to put safety, regulatory compliance and digital tools at the centre of the industry’s growth as the country works to expand cooking-gas use.

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, or NALPGAM, made the call after its 2026 webinar, “Downstream LPG Operational Excellence and Compliance.” The event brought together operators, regulators and other stakeholders to discuss safety risks, market volatility, operational losses and regulatory requirements.

“The future of Nigeria’s LPG industry cannot be achieved by increasing volumes alone,” Edu Inyang, the association’s national president, said in his opening address. “We must grow safely, responsibly, efficiently and sustainably. Safety is not an occasional campaign; it must become a continuous industry culture.”

A key outcome was the adoption of an aspiration for a “NALPGAM Standard of Operational Excellence.” It rests on four principles: safe and well-maintained facilities, competent and trained operators, compliant processes, and customer protection.

Participants urged operators to build safety into daily operations and strengthen preventive maintenance. They also called for compliance with licensing and incident-reporting requirements and for an end to unsafe practices, including unauthorised propane blending and illegal decanting.

Inyang framed compliance as a commercial matter as well as a legal one. “Compliance is not merely a regulatory burden; it is a business advantage,” he said. “Well-managed LPG operations reduce accidents, improve efficiency, protect investments and strengthen public confidence in our industry.”

The webinar also pointed to digital technologies as practical ways to cut product losses, improve accountability and raise efficiency. These included smart filling systems, automated tank gauges, load cells, flow meters and vehicle tracking.

The discussion comes as Nigeria targets LPG consumption of about 5 million metric tons a year by 2030. Stakeholders called for greater industry participation in the Decade of Gas LPG penetration program. They also urged stronger collaboration to widen access, improve cylinder traceability and promote certified local manufacturing.

NALPGAM asked regulators and program coordinators to involve its members in carrying out LPG penetration and cylinder recirculation initiatives. The association said its members’ nationwide reach and closeness to consumers make them well placed to help.

“Our aspiration is clear: every LPG facility must be safe and properly maintained, every operator competent and adequately trained, every process compliant, and every customer protected,” Inyang said. “This is the standard of operational excellence we must collectively pursue.”

The association reaffirmed its commitment to working with government, regulators and industry stakeholders to build a safer, more efficient and competitive LPG market.