The recent blast at a gas station in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, was traced back to a modified gas cylinder that wasn’t safe to use. The explosion hurt people and smashed cars, making everyone worried about safety. This happened on October 16, 2024, in a place called Aduwawa, Ikpoba Hill.
After the incident, the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, or PCNGI for short, shared their thoughts online. They felt sorry for what happened and promised to find out more by looking into the matter further.
PCNGI’s statement mentioned: “We are sad about this unfortunate event but glad no lives were lost. The gas cylinder was not the right kind to use for CNG, as it was poorly welded and changed without approval. We are investigating along with the police, safety officials, and the NIPCO team.”
PCNGI also stressed how important it is to handle gas safely. They are working on a new project called the Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System to help keep everyone safe.
NIPCO, who runs the gas station, agreed that the explosion was due to a bad gas cylinder. They said, “The problem happened when a car with a fake gas cylinder came for a refill. It was only filled with about 4 SCM of gas before it blew up.”
Some experts criticized the government for giving NIPCO too much power over gas refueling and changing cars to run on gas. They’re worried this might mean NIPCO controls too much.
One expert, Dotun Akingbade, said, “The government should let NIPCO just manage the gas stations. The car conversion should be done by others to avoid creating an unfair advantage.”
Back in 2007, NIPCO started their gas project and worked with the Nigerian Gas Company Limited to open 15 stations in Benin City. While they were key to promoting CNG instead of gasoline, some experts worry about what they see as risky car changes and not-so-thorough safety checks.
Another expert, Salis Umeh, accused NIPCO of trying to control the whole market. NIPCO demands that only cars they convert to run on CNG can fill up at their stations. “NIPCO is using its muscle to twist deals with the Ministry of Finance, keeping fuel prices very low at N230 to push others out,” Umeh explained.
Figures in the industry are now urging the government to watch over the CNG market closely to prevent unfair practices and keep people safe in Nigeria’s expanding gas market.