The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says it shut down 85 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plants in Lagos from January to October, for operating illegally.
Mr Ayorinde Cardoso, Zonal Operations Controller, DPR, Lagos, made this known while speaking with newsmen during a public sensitisation exercise on safe usage of LPG.
It was organised by the agency in some parts of Lagos Mainland on Wednesday.
Cardoso said the LPG (cooking gas) plants were shut down for not complying with international safety standards and operating without approval or licence from the DPR.
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According to him, the move is to curb the occurrence of gas explosion and fire incidents in the state.
He said the agency would continue to clamp down on such illegal plants while at the same time sensitising the public on the need for safe usage and distribution of gas.
Cardoso said: ”We are doing this sensitisation to tell the public that it is safe to use gas. It is an efficient and clean source of energy if used appropriately.
“We want to bring gas sector to the citizens and deepen utilisation of LPG for job creation and national development which is the aspiration of the Federal Government.
”We will be doing this exercise continuously in various parts of the state.”
He said the government through the National Gas Expansion Programme was committed to making gas accessible and affordable for Nigerians.
“We have a lot of people coming into the sector to invest and DPR is on ground to ensure that they follow the regulatory requirements.
”We recently brought out new guidelines to encourage investors and anybody that wants to operate in the sector should follow the guidelines,” Cardoso said.
He said that the DPR was also collaborating with the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders to improve safety in gas storage, sales and distribution. (NAN)