By Orkula Shaagee
NAESGAS Limited, a Nigerian oil and gas company, has signed a $200 million contractor financing agreement with Cakasa Nigeria Limited for the construction of 50,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage facility in Onne, Rivers state.
The deal, NESGAS said would enable the timely execution of the project, reinforcing the government’s push for domestic gas utilisation.
Managing Director of NESGAS, Tunde Banjo, said at the signing ceremony in Abuja that the move would accelerate the expansion of Nigeria’s LPG infrastructure, enhancing supply security and supporting the country’s transition to cleaner energy.
Banjo said: “This project is a major leap forward in our mission to strengthen Nigeria’s LPG value chain. Partnering with Cakasa ensures we have the expertise and financial backing to execute this ambitious development successfully.”
While most LPG storage capacity in the country is within 4,000 to 20,000 metric tonnes, the 50,000 metric tonnes facility is expected to drastically increase utilisation in a country where wood falling for cooking is compounding the deforestation crisis and health burden for women. Nigeria is targeting five million MT of LPG consumption yearly. This development would enable over 60 million households to use LPG by 2030.
While Nigeria reportedly has the fastest-growing LPG sector in the world with a projected LPG market size of $10 billion, its current storage capacity of 800,000 metric tonnes is far below expectation.