Nigeria loses $2.5b to gas flaring yearly, says NLPGA

The Nigerian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA) has decried the huge loss of about $2.5billion to gas flaring, urging the Federal Goverment to encourage more investment for gas utilisation.
   
President of the association, Dayo Adesina who disclosed this during a press briefing to herald the fifth yearly conference of NLPGA in Lagos, said the government needs to initiate a policy that would promote LPG business and enhance massive swith to cooking gas to save the environment.
 
Adesina however stated that the forthcomig conference would provide an avenue for the stakeholders to proffer solutions to the challenges in the LPG sector.

The conference themed: “The future is now” would, according to Adesina, focus on embracing LPG as the answer to energy poverty, environmental degradation amongst many other issues affecting Nigeria.

“ Gas flaring activities in Nigeria has contributed to the loss of possible earnings of over $2.5 billion per annum” he said, adding that stakeholders including producers, bulk Breakers, bottling plants, primary and secondary depots, transporters, consultants, traders, public institutions, relevant ministries, government agencies, professionals and the consumers will be in Lagos, Nigeria.
 
The fifth yearly NLPGA Conference is scheduled to hold on Wednesday the 2nd of December 2015 at the Oriental Hotel Lagos.
 
He added: “We also need to highlight safety concerns regarding illegal and unlicensed operators in the sector; high tariffs and duties on imported cylinders and LPG equipments; the urgent need for required funding at favourable interest rates for players in the sector; new training programmes for members in various aspects of the Value Chain.
   
“Others include the need to step up of awareness campaigns by the government to the public on the benefits of using LPG as the cooking fuel of choice to replace the unclean Firewood and Kerosene,” he said.
 
Deputy President of the NLPGA, Mr. Nuhu Yakubu stated that the availability of energy and power is very crucial to the growth of Nigeria’s economy and LPG is the key to this.