The Federal Government has begun the free distribution of filled cooking gas cylinders, popularly called camp gas, to one million homes across the country.
The distribution, which commenced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is to be extended to other parts of the country with a distribution target of 250,000 homes annually.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, who flagged off the distribution exercise on Tuesday, distributed the filled cylinders to over 1,000 women drawn from the various area councils in Abuja under the pilot phase of the programme.
He said the ministry was carrying out the initiative under the Decade of Gas cooking gas outreach programme.
Coordinating Director, Decade of Gas Programme, Ed Ubong, pointed out that cooking gas is cleaner and Nigeria has significant gas resources, so they were partnering with the private sector players, to see how one million cylinders, about 250,000 every year, can be deployed to all parts of Nigeria.
He said the project is private sector-funded and solicited more support to cover free refilling of the cylinders, to discourage the use of charcoal, firewood and kerosene, particularly among rural women.
