The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has raised an alarm over what it described as the proliferation of off-specification gas in Kano believed to be smuggled in from the Republic of Niger.
The association’s National President, Olatunbosun Oladapo, who said this on Wednesday after a meeting with the Kano chapter of the association, noted that if relevant regulatory authorities and the state government do not act immediately, the state is sitting on a keg of gunpowder that can cause loss of lives and investments.
This is coming on the heels of a nationwide fuel scarcity occasioned by the importation of adulterated fuel into the country.
Oladapo said it was observed in the city that several gas dealers/distributors are not following safety precautions in the movement, storage and display of gas.
“No distributor has the right to store more than 500kg, for instance, but some of them now even store more than the capacity of a plant in their shops within residential areas,” he said.
He added that while Nigeria remains one of the top 10 countries in the world with gas deposits, it is worrying that smugglers are having field days bringing in gas that is not in compliance with the specification of Nigeria into Kano city with its over four million metropolitan population.
“These trucks also move on the road containing a large number of LPG stored in various cylinders, most of which have expired. When an accident happens, the whole world will focus on all of us; not minding those operating legally. So, it is our responsibility as an association to speak out and call the attention of everybody to the fact that cylinders that are moving across the border are becoming issues. The way they arrange these cylinders they are bringing illegally is threatening to the safety of our society,” he said.
Oladapo added that unlike the Nigeria LPG which is high on butane which fits our environment; burns slowly with high heat, most of the smuggled products are high on propane which is used in low temperature environments and is not compatible with home appliances in Nigeria.
He advised customers to be wary of buying gas from unlicensed dealers because of the inherent danger.
