The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Lagos Zone, announced on Friday that it sealed off 59 illegal cooking gas plants in the state between January and June of this year.
Mrs Olubunmi Ogundare, Assistant Director, Operations, DPR, Lagos Zonal Office, revealed this during a surveillance operation she led in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the state.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas plants affected by the closure were said to have operated without approvals and not followed safety standards.
At the end of the operation, the agency sealed eight gas plants located in Idimu, Ikotun-Egbe, Ipaja, and Igando.
Ogundare said the move was part of the agency’s oversight duty to monitor the activities of companies involved in the value chain.
The LPG plants were shut down for various reasons, including operating in densely populated areas and other unapproved locations.
The surveillance, which she described as a continuous process, was aimed at curbing the proliferation of LPG facilities and ensuring the safety of lives and property for Nigerians.
It will also sanitise LPG facilities in Lagos State by enforcing standards in their operations, she says.
She said, “Those identified illegal LPG facilities contravened the DPR guidelines for establishing LPG refilling plants and retailers outlets in Nigeria.
“You cannot operate an LPG plant without applying for pertinent approval from DPR. To get this approval, you must go through three phases: setting up the LPG facility, construction, and commencement of operations.
According to Ogundare, three approvals are required: the site must be suitably located, the construction must be approved, and the license must be issued.
Unless you have these approvals, you cannot operate an LPG facility in Nigeria, she said.
Also, she advised Nigerians to report any illegal and unsafe LPG facilities within their localities to the DPR so that the regulatory agency can take appropriate action.
