The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has told stakeholders that domestic LPG production outpaced local supply between January and May 2026, with surplus volumes shipped abroad as LPG or propane. NMDPRA data presented by CEO Rabiu Umar at a “Gas Emergency Meeting” showed daily production exceeded domestic requirements in each month of the period, producing a cumulative exportable surplus equal to 7,954.55 tonnes per day over five months. Monthly highlights included production of 5,190MT/day in January (net domestic balance 75.73MT), a sharp rise to 6,451MT/day in February (exportable 2,367.17MT/day), and continued surpluses through March, April and May.
The regulator noted that, despite improved local supply in recent years, national provision still falls short of demand. NMDPRA’s figures estimate annual LPG need at about 1.42 million tonnes while supply remains below that benchmark. Between January and June 18, 2026, Nigeria supplied 565,106 tonnes against a benchmark of 657,072 tonnes, a shortfall of 91,966 tonnes. Coverage rose from 78.7% in 2024 to 88.4% in 2025, then eased to 86.0% year-to-date in 2026. Daily requirement is estimated at 3,888MT, and local sources supplied 82.4% of total supply in 2025 and 88.2% in 2026 year-to-date.
NMDPRA’s breakdown of producers showed Nigeria LNG as the largest LPG producer (29.01%), followed by Chevron (22.93%), Dangote Refinery (16.26%), and Seplat (13.63%), with smaller shares from Ardova’s AHL, Odum, and OVADE plants. However, the regulator highlighted notable export behavior: several producers exported significant propane volumes and one producer (Chevron) exported 100% of its LPG output (148,222MT) without supplying the domestic market. Nigeria LNG, Dangote and others also exported large propane volumes while supplying local markets to varying degrees.
The NMDPRA warned that these export commitments, together with infrastructure gaps and FX pressures; help explain persistent domestic shortages and spiking retail prices. To relieve shortages, marketers imported 16,642.66MT of LPG in the first 19 days of June. The regulator added that many consumers still pay far above its indicative price benchmarks because of marketer profiteering and distribution bottlenecks, and that limited availability is pushing households back to charcoal and firewood—undermining the government’s LPG-centred clean-energy transition despite Nigeria’s vast gas reserves.
