Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has commended President Bola Tinubu for the Federal Government’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Penetration Initiative, describing it as a major step towards improving the welfare of Nigerians and expanding access to clean cooking energy.
Speaking on Tuesday at the launch of the Decade of Gas: National Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme in Yenagoa, Diri urged the Federal Government to extend the programme’s free cylinder refill period to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Bayelsa became the first state to benefit from the state-level rollout of the initiative, which is expected to provide LPG cylinders to at least 27,000 beneficiaries.
According to a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Diri said the programme would significantly reduce dependence on firewood for cooking, curb deforestation and lessen the environmental impact of indiscriminate tree felling.
He noted that the initiative marked a shift in the Federal Government’s approach by ensuring that oil and gas-producing communities also benefit from cleaner and safer energy sources.
The governor said communities in the Niger Delta had endured decades of environmental degradation, poverty and neglect despite contributing immensely to the nation’s oil and gas wealth, adding that the LPG scheme represents a positive step towards addressing those challenges.
Diri expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), development partners and sponsors for selecting Bayelsa as the pilot state, noting that the initiative aligns with his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life of residents.
He explained that the transition from firewood to liquefied petroleum gas would improve public health by reducing exposure to harmful smoke while also protecting the environment.
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