NIGERIA-DEVELOPMENT: Cooking with Gas Project Goes Up In Smoke

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

Toye Olori

LAGOS, Mar 21 1997 (IPS) - The idea was a sound environmental one — to reduce the amount of wood used for fuel and to conserve trees, promote gas for cooking.

A Presidential Committee on Alternative Fuel Sources that was set up three years ago, even identified kerosene, coal and gas as three major energy sources that could replace wood.

But some unscrupulous Nigerian traders have threatened the viability of the campaign to get people to switch to gas by selling unsafe second-hand gas cylinders.

“The promotion of the use of gas…is very important as gas is cheaper, environmentally cleaner and less pollutant than petroleum products,” said an official of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN).

Local production of gas cylinders has yet to take off, so Nigerian businessmen have flooded the market with imported ones which have been the cause of a number of explosions in people’s homes.

New cylinders are hard to come by and when available at approved fuel stations, they cost between 4,000 and 5,000 Nairas (about 50 and 62 U.S. Dollars) depending on the brand. The second- hand ones sell for less than half this price.

Sometimes, the second-hand cylinders find their way into approved selling outlets. “Only experts or manufacturers can detect a cylinder that has been tampered with, hence users and gas refill depots use them unknowingly, thereby causing leakages or explosions under pressure,” says Oluwasegun Ayonim, a manager at one gas refilling depot here.

There are allegations that some smugglers use the cylinders to transport drugs into the country and then dump them onto the local market.

“A good cylinder must have an acceptable age limit, contain visible engraved information for suitability, be free from dent and internal corrosion and must be regularly maintained and tested at the correct pressure,” Ayonim told IPS.

The ECN official said that many of the regulations once in place for the importation and maintenance of gas cylinders were no longer enforced.

“Many years ago, major petroleum marketers were responsible for their own cylinders and their maintenance. If any cylinder was bad, it was taken for repairs or put out of circulation. They were periodically checked, but that is no longer the case,” he said.

“Importation of cylinders is no longer restricted to major marketers so sometimes some of the cylinders are not of the right quality,” the official added.

The ECN official said there should be more consumer education so that the public is sensitised to the dangers of using gas cylinders that are not of standard quality.

Many domestic gas users are not aware of the effects of rust and dents on gas cylinders, he said. In Nigeria, cooking gas is not piped to end users in the kitchen or factories from gas companies, but is sold in cylinders of 5, 12.5 and 25 kgs.

There have been increasing reports of gas leaks and explosions, causing deaths during the last six months. Newspapers are filled with stories of gas explosions either in the kitchens or refilling stations.

“Thirteen persons sustained severe burns in a gas fire disaster in Birni Kebbi which started in a gas shop on Sunday. Property, yet to be estimated, has also been destroyed in the fire,” the ‘Daily Times’ reported early this week.

According to the paper, one of the victims died shortly after being admitted to the hospital, five died two days later, while the remaining seven are still receiving treatment.

Officials said that the exact number of deaths caused by gas cylinder explosions is unknown.