Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has applauded President Bola Tinubu’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Initiative, describing it as a major step toward improving the welfare of Nigerians, even as he renewed calls for justice over the state’s contribution to Nigeria’s gas wealth.
Speaking on Tuesday at the launch of the Decade of Gas: National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme in Yenagoa, Diri said the initiative would ease the burden on vulnerable households, curb deforestation and reduce the environmental damage caused by years of dependence on firewood.
Bayelsa became the first state to benefit from the nationwide rollout of the programme, with about 27,000 residents expected to receive free LPG cylinders under the initiative.
The governor said the scheme signalled a welcome shift in the Federal Government’s approach by ensuring that communities producing the nation’s oil and gas resources also benefit from cleaner and safer energy.
According to him, the transition from firewood to cooking gas would improve public health, protect forests and reduce exposure to harmful smoke, while helping families embrace cleaner cooking methods.
“For decades, communities in the Niger Delta have borne the burden of environmental degradation despite contributing immensely to the nation’s economy. This programme represents a positive change,” Diri said.
He commended President Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), development partners and sponsors for bringing the programme to Bayelsa, urging residents to abandon the belief that food prepared with firewood is superior.
While welcoming the decision to provide beneficiaries with six free gas cylinder refills, Diri appealed to the Federal Government to extend the support to two years to give states enough time to prepare sustainable funding arrangements.
The governor also used the occasion to demand greater economic justice for Bayelsa, lamenting that despite supplying about 60 per cent of the gas processed by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company, the state receives little benefit.
“About 60 per cent of the gas supplied to NLNG comes from Bayelsa, yet no tax is paid to the Bayelsa State Government. Those revenues go to other states. That injustice should be addressed,” he said.
He argued that the imbalance had deprived Bayelsa of much-needed revenue and contributed to the state’s weak internally generated revenue despite decades of hosting oil and gas operations.
Diri also decried the environmental and health consequences of prolonged oil exploration and gas flaring in the Niger Delta, saying the challenges informed the establishment of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission to document the impact of pollution in the region.
Launching the programme, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the initiative as a major milestone in the Federal Government’s drive to expand access to clean cooking energy.
He said the programme aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is designed to reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal, improve public health, create jobs across the LPG value chain and make gas more accessible to ordinary Nigerians.
Ekpo assured beneficiaries that refill centres would be established closer to communities while the government would continue efforts to keep LPG affordable.
Also speaking, the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr. Ed Ubong, said the Federal Government plans to transition five million Nigerian households to LPG by 2030, targeting one million households annually.
He explained that Bayelsa was selected as the starting point because of its strategic position as one of Nigeria’s leading gas-producing states and home to one of Africa’s largest gas processing facilities.
