As part of its effort to promote clean cooking energy for families across the country, the Federal Government, FG, yesterday commenced the free distribution of gas cylinders with a target of moving at least one million homes to clean cooking gas by 2030.

The programme, which is under the ‘Decade of Gas’ initiative, tagged LPG grassroots penetration, is expected to distribute about 250,000 gas cylinders to women in rural communities across the country.

Speaking at the flag-off of the programme in the Apo Resettlement area of Abuja, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the administration was determined to increase domestic gas usage.

Ekpo who supervised the handing over of 1,000 numbers of 3kg cylinders filled with gas to rural women drawn from the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, explained that the government’s push for the use of gas as the cooking fuel of choice would improve the health of women and girls who bear the greatest risk in the use of traditional cooking fuel. 

He stated: “We’re not only introducing a program today; we’re on a mission to change millions of Nigerians’ lives in our six geographical zones. By 2030, we want to convert 250,000 houses a year to clean cooking gas, which is a lofty but attainable target. 

“This program is evidence of our steadfast dedication to lessening the over-reliance on solid fuels, which for a long time served as many households’ primary source of energy and include firewood, kerosene, and charcoal.

In his remarks, the Coordinating Director, ‘Decade of Gas’ program, Mr. Ed Ubong, said the programme which is funded by the private sector would bring an end to the use of woods and kerosene in homes.

He added that the ‘Decade of Gas’ program is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s theme: “Gas to Prosperity, a Renewed Hope”.

He stated: “As part of the LPG grassroots programme, we would be committed to see how we can move over a million cooking cylinders, mainly to women, in rural areas.

“Cooking gas is cleaner and Nigeria has significant gas resources and so we will be partnering with the private sector working under the supervision of the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) to see how we can deploy over a million cylinders at about 250,000 a year to all parts of Nigeria”.