The House of Representatives has resolved to come up with legislation that will regulate the installation and use of Compressed Natural Gas tanks and vehicles, in line with global best practices.

This decision of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion on ‘Urgent need for legislation to back the Presidential CNG Initiative to avert further carnage leading to loss of lives due to the production of locally fabricated CNG tanks by artisans,” sponsored by the member representing Surulere 1 Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Mr Fuad Laguda.

Speaking on the motion, the Lagos noted that the Federal Government’s Presidential CNG Initiative seeks to promote the use of CNG as a cleaner, more affordable alternative to petrol and diesel in vehicles, “Thereby reducing dependence on imported fuel, lowering emissions, and making transportation more cost-effective for Nigerians.”

He added that CNG “Has proven to be a sustainable and viable alternative fuel for transportation in many countries worldwide, but its safe use hinges on proper manufacturing, installation, and inspection of the CNG tanks and systems used in vehicles.”

He said, “There have been over 2,000 conversions of vehicles to CNG across the nation, with zero explosion incidents coming from any of these conversions that were done in verified and certified conversion centres.”

He, however, expressed worry over the recent tragic incident in Edo State, “Where an explosion of a locally fabricated CNG cylinder, in a bid to cut corners, resulted in the loss of lives, numerous injuries, and property damage,” stressing that this has “Highlighted the critical need to address the safety and integrity of CNG tanks produced and used in Nigeria.”

The lack of regulatory standards and legislation governing the local fabrication, installation, and inspection of CNG cylinders, he said, “Is causing a surge in the production of substandard tanks by unqualified artisans, leading to avoidable explosions and loss of lives.”

He further stated that many CNG conversion workshops and artisans are operating without proper technical certification or oversight, creating unsafe conditions that endanger the lives of vehicle owners and passengers.

The lawmaker warned, “Without immediate legislative intervention to regulate the production, testing, and certification of CNG tanks and installation processes, more Nigerians will continue to face the risk of similar explosions, injuries, and fatalities.

“The use of substandard materials, faulty installations, and inadequate testing of CNG cylinders before their deployment in vehicles could undermine the success of the Presidential CNG Initiative and lead to widespread public mistrust in CNG technology.

“The absence of mandatory integrity checks for CNG tanks and the vehicles they are mounted on further compounds the risks associated with the use of compressed natural gas for transportation.”

Following its adoption, the House resolved to urgently propose and enact legislation “That will regulate the production, installation and use of CNG tanks and systems in vehicles, ensuring that such processes meet internationally accepted safety standards and prevent the fabrication of substandard CNG tanks by unqualified individuals.”

It also mandated the Committees on Gas Resources and Industry to “Investigate the CNG cylinder explosion in Edo State that resulted in the tragic loss of lives and severe injuries to identify the causes and prevent future occurrences.”

The House further urged the relevant department of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to collaborate on enforcing strict certification standards for the production and installation of CNG tanks and ensure that only qualified and accredited workshops are authorised to carry out CNG vehicle conversions.”

This is as it called on the Nigerian Institute of Welding and other relevant agencies to “Develop training and certification programs for local artisans and workshops involved in CNG tank fabrication and installation to ensure that only certified professionals handle such highly sensitive tasks.”

Credit: punchng.com

Reps move to legalise Presidential initiative on CNG

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