Lagos seeks N1.5bn to distribute one million gas cylinders

Lagos State Government yesterday said that it would need at least N1.5bn to enable it distributes Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG cylinders to 1 million homes in the state over a period of five years.

The Government added that it would assist the Federal Government in the generation of power supply, adding that it had powered no fewer than 172 public schools and 11 Primary Health Centres, PHCs across the state in its Solar Power Project.

Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. Tofeeq Tijani and the General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi disclosed these at the 2015 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

They argued that the fund would afford the Lagos residents the opportunity to embrace the safer ways of cooking through the free distribution of LPG cylinders.

Explaining that paucity of fund remains the only abaltross in eradicating cooking by firewood in the state, Tijani added that the state government, through the Eko Gas Scheme, would continue to carry out skid plant deployment, cylinder distribution and LPG reticulation of government owned estates, if the funds are available.

Earlier, Ogunbiyi said the state has greatly reduced crime rate and foster a conducive environment for economic growth through costant supply of electricity.

The general manager said that the state, through its five Independent Power Plants, commissioned in some parts of the state, has been able to disconnect about 400 powerful generators.

She added that the state has the largest number of well maintained public lighting network in the entire country, saying that the state has since 2013 maintained over 316km of public lighting in 227 locations and over 400km roads and streets across the state.

Ogunbiyi listed some of the public buildings powered by the IPPs to include: Lagos House Marina, General Hospitals on the Lagos Island, High Courts, public lighting, street lighting, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH among others.

On why the state was yet to distribute LPG cylinders to 1million household, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resource, Mrs Iyabo Obasa explained that the N150 million fund provided by the state government fir the free distribution of the cylinders could only provide for 20,000 homes.

To encourage the use of LPG in the state, Obasa said the Ministry distributed 20,000 3kg and 6kg cylinders across the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Areas.