By Sunday Elom
The federal government of Nigeria has endorsed decision by the country’s liquefied natural gas company to suspend the export of cooking gas (Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company Ltd had in an announcement last weekend said henceforth the company would sell 100% to the local market to force prices down .
Minister of state for environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, who spoke on behalf of the federal government, commended Nigerian LNG for its decision to supply 100% of its product to the domestic market, saying the “initiative was a welcome development and a step in the right direction that would not only bring down the price of the commodity but also bring relief to Nigeria’s forests and ecosystem.”
Recall that NLNG recently announced its decision to suspend the exports of LPG from its facility in Bonny, Rivers State and assured that it would henceforth supply 100% of the commodity into the local market.
According to a statement issued by the director of press at the federal ministry of environment, Saghir El Mohammed, Chief Ikeazor said that “The NLNG should be commended for its sensitivity and responsiveness to the plight of Nigerians.
“For us in the environment sector, this singular decision will not only help in restoring our forests and in addressing some of our climate challenges but also facilitate the attainment of our nationally determined contribution and other aspects of the Paris Agreement.”
The minister recalled how shortly after the increase in the prices of cooking gas across Nigeria, millions of Nigerians could no longer afford the commodity and consequently resorted to firewood and charcoal as alternatives.
A situation she decried, saying that “The unhealthy development has been so severe on the forest ecosystem that the reserves and even trees outside the forests were not spared.”
According to the environment minister, cutting the country’s forests for firewood and charcoal had been a major cause of deforestation and other climate change challenges; as wood and charcoal smokes had been contributing to air pollution and other pollutants that produced greenhouse gases.
“We in the environment sector strongly support and believe that by making gas available and affordable, being the cleanest of the fossil fuels, Nigeria is now set towards cutting down on its carbon emissions drastically.
“This will play a prominent role during the current energy transition period,” Chief Ikeazor stated.
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