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Energy · Nigeria

License an LPG (cooking gas) plant (NMDPRA)

Build and operate an LPG retail/storage plant under NMDPRA's three-stage downstream regime: Licence to Establish (site suitability, 18 months) → Approval/Licence to Construct (30 months) → Licence to Operate. Distinct from a petrol filling station licence.

4
steps
3
agencies involved
Who you will deal with
Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)NMDPRAApplicant; NMDPRA inspectors
The steps
  1. 1Licence to Establish (site suitability)
    Agency
    Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)
    What is required
    Apply for the Licence to Establish so the site is assessed before capital is committed. Valid 18 months. Processing fee by storage capacity: ₦105,000 (0.1-5MT), ₦205,000 (5.1-10MT), ₦305,000 (10.1-60MT).
    Documents
    CAC certificate; MEMART; site layout; survey; processing fee
    Typical timeline
    Valid 18 months
  2. 2Approval/Licence to Construct (ATC)
    Agency
    NMDPRA
    What is required
    Apply for the Licence to Construct with town-planning approval for the location, a Nigeria Police report and a State Fire Service report, approved building plan, standards and codes, EIA and FIRS tax clearance. Valid 30 months; construction proceeds subject to inspections.
    Documents
    Town planning approval; police report; fire service report; approved building plan; EIA; TCC
    Typical timeline
    Valid 30 months
  3. 3Construct and install to code
    Agency
    Applicant; NMDPRA inspectors
    What is required
    Build the plant to the LPG guidelines - tank foundations and separation distances, safety devices, fire-fighting equipment, earthing, and calibrated dispensing/filling equipment - with witnessed tests and inspections.
    Documents
    Witnessed tank/pressure tests; safety installations
    Typical timeline
    Construction period
  4. 4Licence to Operate (LTO)
    Agency
    NMDPRA
    What is required
    Obtain the Licence to Operate before selling gas to the public: submit as-built documents and evidence of installed safety devices and pay the LTO processing fee (an additional ₦200,000, with the service charge at ₦10,000 - e.g. ₦310,000 for 0.1-5MT, ₦410,000 for 5.1-10MT). Fees are subject to NMDPRA revision.
    Documents
    As-built documents; safety devices; LTO fee
    Typical timeline
    Before commencing sales

Primary source: https://www.nuprc.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/LPG-Guidelines-Issued-September-2018.pdf · confidence: high

Also in energy
Obtain a filling-station (retail outlet) licenceObtain an electricity generation licence/permit (NERC)Register an oil & gas service company (NUPRC/NCDMB)

The numbers behind the decision

Knowing the process is half of it. ONYX also tracks the operating environment you are entering — daily grid generation, official FX, state-level input prices and inflation, and sector output — each figure source-linked and dated.

ONYX publishes what the responsible agencies publish, with a link to each source. Requirements, fees and timelines change, and an officer's reading of a rule can differ from the published text. Verify against the linked source before you commit money — this is reference information, not legal advice.

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