NALPGAM President Urges Media to Deepen LPG Reporting for National Development
The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), Barrister Edu Inyang, has urged journalists to deepen their understanding of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry and report the sector beyond price increases and accidents.
Inyang made the call while speaking as a guest speaker at a conference organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said better understanding and reporting of the LPG value chain would help the public appreciate the factors responsible for gas prices, supply challenges, safety concerns and developments in the sector.
According to him, LPG is more than “cooking gas”, as it is closely linked to food security, public health, employment, small businesses, environmental protection and Nigeria’s energy security.
“In LPG, we are talking about food, family welfare, public health, employment, small businesses, women, the environment, energy security and ultimately, Nigeria’s economic development,” he said.
Inyang said Nigeria’s abundant gas resources had not automatically translated into affordable and readily available LPG for households, stressing the need to strengthen the entire gas value chain.
He identified production, processing, storage, transportation, terminals, depots, filling plants, marketing and retailing as critical components of the chain.
“If something goes wrong anywhere along that chain, the consumer feels it at the point of purchase,” he said.
The NALPGAM president urged journalists to investigate the factors behind changes in LPG prices instead of attributing every increase to marketers.
He said reports should examine issues such as domestic supply, international prices, foreign exchange, transportation, terminal and storage costs, regulatory charges, wholesale prices and retail margins.
“The price the consumer sees is the end product of a chain. And the longer the chain, the more carefully we must examine every component of the price,” he said.
Inyang also called for stronger domestic LPG supply, saying Nigeria should progressively utilise more of its abundant gas resources for domestic consumption.
He said growing demand for LPG made it necessary for the country to increase investment in production, storage, transportation and distribution infrastructure.
The NALPGAM president said imports could continue to bridge supply gaps but stressed that domestic production should remain the foundation of a sustainable LPG market.
He further called for regulation that balances safety, consumer protection, investment, competition, availability and affordability.
According to him, LPG requires sector-specific regulatory attention because its logistics, storage requirements, safety characteristics and supply dynamics differ from those of other petroleum products.
“That is not a demand for regulatory privilege. It is a demand for regulatory precision,” he said.
On safety, Inyang urged journalists to avoid sensational reporting of LPG-related incidents before the causes had been established.
He said reports should determine whether an incident was caused by a faulty cylinder, gas leakage, improper installation, non-compliance, poor maintenance, product quality or other factors.
“Do not sensationalise the incident. Investigate the cause,” he said.
He urged journalists to establish the applicable standards, laboratory findings and regulatory positions when reporting controversies involving LPG products.
Inyang also cautioned against reducing technical issues involving propane and butane to simplistic narratives, urging journalists to rely on technical standards, evidence and regulatory findings.
He said fair competition was necessary to improve efficiency, service, innovation, availability and consumer choice, but warned that safety standards must not be compromised in the pursuit of lower prices.
“No company should gain a competitive advantage by cutting corners on safety,” he said.
The NALPGAM president described the media as a critical link between the energy industry, government and the Nigerian public.
He urged journalists to move beyond reporting “who said what” and focus more on evidence, accountability, the causes of industry developments and possible solutions.
“Instead of asking only, ‘Who said what?’ ask: What is the evidence? What actually happened? Where in the value chain did it happen? Who benefits? Who loses? Who is responsible? And, perhaps most importantly, what is the solution?” he said.
Inyang also called for greater specialisation in energy journalism, particularly in areas such as LPG, CNG, LNG, natural gas, refining, pipelines, storage, regulation, pricing and competition.
He said the increasing complexity and importance of Nigeria’s energy sector required journalists with sufficient technical knowledge to report developments accurately.
“A headline can be produced in five minutes, but understanding the policy behind that headline may take five years,” he said.
Inyang stressed that the media should not serve as the public relations arm of the LPG industry, but should remain fair, investigative, curious and willing to hold industry operators, regulators and government accountable.
He, however, urged journalists to verify claims before publishing them and give all relevant parties an opportunity to respond.
“When you report an LPG incident, investigate. When you report a price increase, explain. When you report a regulatory decision, provide context,” he said.
He said responsible journalism could educate consumers, expose wrongdoing, influence policy and contribute to national development.
Inyang said Nigeria needed not only more gas but also better utilisation of its gas resources, sound policies, stronger consumer protection and better journalism.
“If we can achieve those four things, we will not merely have a stronger LPG industry. We will have a stronger Nigeria,” he said.
