Breaking News
LPG Marketers Push Safety, Digitalisation to Reduce Operational Risks
Call for stricter compliance, preventive maintenance
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has called for stricter safety standards, stronger regulatory compliance and wider adoption of digital technologies to reduce operational risks and improve efficiency in Nigeria’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry.
The association said the sector’s growth must go beyond increased consumption and supply volumes to address unsafe practices, product losses, poorly maintained facilities and gaps in regulatory compliance.
Speaking at NALPGAM’s 2026 webinar on: “Downstream LPG Operational Excellence and Compliance”, the association’s National President, Edu Inyang, said safety must become a permanent feature of industry operations rather than an occasional campaign.
“The future of Nigeria’s LPG industry cannot be achieved by increasing volumes alone. We must grow safely, responsibly, efficiently and sustainably. Safety is not an occasional campaign; it must become a continuous industry culture,” Inyang said.
The webinar brought together industry operators, regulators and other stakeholders to examine safety risks, market volatility, operational inefficiencies and regulatory requirements in the downstream LPG market.
One of its key outcomes was the adoption of a proposed “NALPGAM Standard of Operational Excellence”, anchored on four principles: safe and well-maintained facilities, competent and adequately trained operators, compliant processes and customer protection.
Participants urged LPG operators to make safety an integral part of their daily activities, strengthen preventive maintenance, comply with licensing and incident-reporting requirements, and eliminate dangerous practices such as unauthorised propane blending and illegal decanting.
Inyang said compliance should be viewed as an investment in business sustainability rather than an additional regulatory cost, arguing that adherence to standards would reduce accidents, protect investments and improve public confidence in the industry.
“Compliance is not merely a regulatory burden; it is a business advantage. Well-managed LPG operations reduce accidents, improve efficiency, protect investments and strengthen public confidence in our industry,” he said.
The association also highlighted the role of digital technologies in tackling product losses and improving accountability across LPG operations.
Smart filling systems, automated tank gauges, load cells, flow meters and vehicle-tracking technologies were identified as practical tools for monitoring product movements, improving measurement accuracy and strengthening operational efficiency.
The push for safer and more efficient operations comes as Nigeria targets annual LPG consumption of approximately 5 million tonnes by 2030, a goal that stakeholders said would require broader industry participation and stronger coordination among operators, regulators and government agencies.
They called for increased participation in the Decade of Gas LPG penetration programme, alongside measures to expand access, improve cylinder traceability and promote certified local manufacturing.
NALPGAM also urged regulators and programme coordinators to involve its members more actively in the implementation of LPG penetration and cylinder recirculation initiatives, citing their nationwide presence and proximity to consumers as important advantages in expanding access to the fuel.
Inyang said the association’s vision was to establish clear operational expectations across the market, with safety, technical competence, compliance and consumer protection forming the basis of industry practice.
“Our aspiration is clear: every LPG facility must be safe and properly maintained, every operator competent and adequately trained, every process compliant, and every customer protected. This is the standard of operational excellence we must collectively pursue,” he said.
NALPGAM reaffirmed its commitment to working with the federal government, regulators and other industry stakeholders to develop a safer, more efficient and competitive LPG market.
It stressed that sustained growth would depend on operators embracing higher standards and deploying technology to improve performance.
