LAGOS: Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA) has embarked on a marketing strategy to convert 50 per cent users of Dual Purpose Kerosine (DPK) to the use of LPG otherwise called cooking gas.
The association in partnership with other stakeholders and the National Planning Commission (NPC) have produced a National LPG Masterplan to help actualise the dream.
The president of NLPGA, Mr Dayo Adesina, said the initiative would create an LPG market value of over N10.8 billion.
Adesina said that the level of the product consumption was significantly low despite its inherent environmental value.
“Our local consumption is just about 300,000 tons when we should be looking at consuming five million tons per annum,” he said.
He also said that the cylinder in circulation was about 1.8 million as against the association’s target of about 100 million, which if achieved, would create market for local producers.
The president explained that the document which is still being debated by government, would help sanitise the market, create employment and generate revenue for government.
He said that while the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) produces over 4 million tons of LPG and local consumptions stood at 300,000 tons, the country do not have need to continue importation of the product.
“Some stakeholders still import LPG from Niger, while we export excess of what we produce from NLNG plant.
“However, LPG from NLNG has VAT inclusive so because government has not reverted to imposing VAT on imported LPG, sharp businessmen take advantage of the situation to resort to importation which of course, is cheaper but is killing our domestic initiative,” he lamented.
