The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has expressed firm support for Aliko Dangote’s recent pledge to reduce the cost of cooking gas, describing the move as a timely and necessary step toward making clean energy affordable for Nigerian households.
NALPGAM President, Oladapo Olatunbosun, lauded Dangote’s intervention as a welcome development in the push to improve nationwide access to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). According to him, the association has long advocated for price cuts in the LPG market as rising costs continue to force many Nigerians—particularly those in rural areas—into using firewood and other harmful alternatives.
Dangote had earlier revealed plans to directly sell LPG to marketers if intermediaries fail to lower prices, emphasizing his company’s commitment to breaking pricing barriers in the distribution chain. The Dangote Refinery currently produces 2,000 metric tonnes of cooking gas daily, but the industrialist raised concerns over retail prices being driven up by middlemen.
Olatunbosun, speaking in support of this approach, dismissed concerns about monopolistic control. He explained that the association is not interested in market dominance but is focused on ensuring Nigerians can afford clean cooking fuel. “We are happy someone with Dangote’s capacity is stepping in. This is what we’ve been advocating at NALPGAM—relief for the masses,” he said.
He noted that NALPGAM has continuously engaged with government officials, including the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, to lobby for pricing structures that benefit low-income households. According to him, Dangote’s recent remarks reflect the kind of private-sector intervention needed to correct market inefficiencies.
However, Olatunbosun acknowledged that the announcement has stirred concern among investors in the LPG storage and infrastructure sector, many of whom operate on loan-financed business models. Some stakeholders, he noted, are yet to break even after years of investment. Despite this, he insisted the LPG market is large enough to accommodate all players if structured properly.
Clarifying Dangote’s distribution strategy, the NALPGAM boss stressed that cooking gas will not be sold directly to end-users from the refinery. Instead, sales will go through plant owners and licensed marketers, effectively eliminating exploitative middlemen.
Olatunbosun also highlighted the disparity in LPG affordability, with current prices hovering around ₦1,000 per kilogram. This, he said, has restricted gas usage to only middle and high-income earners, making it almost inaccessible to most rural households.
“The only way we can increase LPG consumption is to make it affordable,” he said. “We must encourage large-scale producers like Dangote to sacrifice some profit so the average Nigerian can benefit. This isn’t just about business—it’s about public health, the environment, and national development.”
He concluded by praising Dangote’s “pro-poor” approach, calling it a game-changer in Nigeria’s clean energy transition. “We need more players in the sector who are focused not only on profit but on impact,” he added.