Nigeria’s LPG marketers have proposed a new operational standard for the industry, arguing that growth in gas consumption will mean little unless it is matched by safer facilities, trained operators and strict regulatory compliance.
The proposal, called the “NALPGAM Standard of Operational Excellence,” emerged from the 2026 webinar of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM).
Held under the theme “Downstream LPG Operational Excellence and Compliance,” the event brought together operators, regulators and other stakeholders to examine safety risks, market volatility, operational losses and regulatory requirements.
The standard rests on four principles: safe and well-maintained facilities, competent and trained operators, compliant processes, and customer protection.
Opening the webinar, the Association’s National President, Barrister Edu Inyang, said the sector’s future cannot depend on higher volumes alone.
“We must grow safely, responsibly, efficiently and sustainably. Safety is not an occasional campaign; it must become a continuous industry culture,” he said.
Participants urged operators to embed safety in daily operations, strengthen preventive maintenance, and meet licensing and incident-reporting requirements.
They also called for an end to unsafe practices such as unauthorised propane blending and illegal decanting.
Inyang described compliance as an advantage rather than a burden. “Well-managed LPG operations reduce accidents, improve efficiency, protect investments and strengthen public confidence in our industry,” he said.
The webinar also pointed to digital technologies as practical tools for cutting product losses and improving accountability. These include smart filling systems, automated tank gauges, load cells, flow meters and vehicle tracking.
With Nigeria aiming to reach LPG consumption of about five million tonnes annually by 2030, stakeholders called for wider industry participation in the Decade of Gas LPG penetration programme.
They also stressed stronger collaboration to expand access, improve cylinder traceability and promote certified local manufacturing.
NALPGAM urged regulators and programme coordinators to involve its members in LPG penetration and cylinder recirculation initiatives, citing their nationwide reach and closeness to consumers.
“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,” Inyang said.
The Association reaffirmed its commitment to working with government, regulators and industry stakeholders to build a safer, more efficient and competitive LPG market.
For NALPGAM, the message is plain: safety must be the industry’s culture, compliance its character, technology its catalyst, and operational excellence its competitive advantage.
