By Dotun Ibiwoye

To reduce the effect of climate change and ensure cleaner environment , the Lagos State Government has commenced Gas Reticulation System in some of its residential estates.

This is part of the ‘Eko Gas Project’, tree planting initiative and other projects.Aside boosting efforts to purify the environment, the Gas Reticulation System will aslo lead to greater use of LPG (cooking gas) in the State.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mrs. Regina Iyabo Obasa recently said that the state government is introducing the gas reticulation system in state owned residential estates as a way of making Lagos resident have easy access to cooking gas as well as embrace the use of cleaner fuel for cooking in various homes.

Can the government effectively control a gas distribution system in a city which has over 21 million inhabitants, with several slums and suburbs? This is a major question on the lips of many observers.

Conventional gas cylinders

Obasa said, the pilot scheme had started in new estates under construction such as Ilubirin foreshore, Ijora and iponri with gas piles being installed    for domestic use. She explained that with gas reticulation system, individuals need not purchase conventional gas cylinders as each apartment in the estates will have gas supply from a centralized skid plant  located within the estate, which in itself is a safety measure.

She said the Lagos State Ministry of Energy plans to install more gas skid plants in Alimosho, Epe, Lagos Island and Badagry areas before the end of this year to make cooking gas (LPG) readily available to residents.

She added that the State Government introduced Eko Gas Scheme as a choice for Lagosians in order to reduce carbon emission from the use of firewood and kerosene, and because of its inherent advantages such as being safer, faster and convenient for cooking.

Last year, the state government launched the Eko Gas Project, to ensure that cooking gas was brought to the door steps of all residents of  Lagos, at affordable prices.

The project tagged ‘Eko  Gas’ is targeted at the low income group that relies on kerosene because of the erroneous impression that LPG is more expensive. About 20 per cent of the cost of cylinder would be catered for by the state government.

Earlier in his address, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babtunde Raji Fashola (SAN) stated that the initiative is for the vulnerable members of the society who depend on fire wood and cooking stoves.

Standard of living for the poor people

Fashola said “For us, our commitment is to raise the standard of living for the poor people in the state and to let them know that cooking gas in Lagos is no longer the preserve of the rich alone. We have intervened as a government to equalize and to make the price of cylinder available at various prices.

Expressing dismay over the country’s poor use of gas despite being one of largest producers of LPG in the continent said: “We also recognize the immense potential of the country’s gas resources. It is only right that we devise a means to apply the existing solution to an existing problem meaning that this gas can be used to provide electricity for our country Nigeria”.

“In Africa, Nigeria is rated the largest producer of Liquefied Petroleum Gas yet we are ranked as the lowest in per capita consumption of this product when actually it is exploited in this country and can be made as a source of energy for millions of Nigerians as an alternative to provide electricity for our people,” he said