Only 7 Of 210 FCT Gas Vendors Have Working Fire Extinguishers — NFEC
A safety audit has revealed that only seven out of 210 gas vendors across the Federal Capital Territory have functioning fire extinguishers.
The alarming statistics were revealed by the National Coordinator of the Nigeria Fire Extinguisher Control (NFEC), Mr. Benson Olatunji, during a meeting with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officials on Monday at the FCT Command Headquarters in Abuja.
“Most gas vendors have no formal training, documentation, or fire safety orientation. This is dangerous and unacceptable. Our programme is determined to sanitize the sector,” Olatunji said.
In response, the FCT Commandant of NSCDC, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, reiterated the Corps’ resolve to proactively prevent fire disasters and gas explosions across the territory.
“The management of disasters is one of our core mandates, and we cannot afford to be lackadaisical about it, especially given the dangers associated,” Odumosu said.
He noted the growing threat posed by the rapid proliferation of gas facilities, ranging from household retail outlets to large industrial storage points, stressing that, while gas is a vital energy source, the explosion risks it presents demand robust and immediate intervention.
According to him, the NSCDC, under the directive of the Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, is implementing the Nigeria Fire Extinguisher Control system to monitor, certify, and track fire extinguishers throughout the FCT.
The initiative, he said, aims to eliminate expired, counterfeit, or substandard equipment and enforce national safety standards.
“Our goal is to prevent explosions before they occur, not just respond after the damage is done. This is why the Nigeria Fire Extinguisher Control is so crucial, to combat a silent yet deadly threat,” he stated.
The system, Odumosu explained, integrates smart surveillance, leak detection, early warning technologies, and a unified emergency hotline.
It also features an inter-agency coordination platform and community-focused awareness campaigns aimed at educating residents and business operators on safe gas usage and emergency response protocols.
He called on all stakeholders, including regulators, landlords, vendors, and residents, to fully support and comply with the new safety initiative, embrace established safety protocols, and promptly report potential risks.
Olatunji welcomed the partnership, and described it as timely and critical.
He added that the NFEC’s ongoing effort to map all cooking gas vendors across the territory will provide real-time data for strategic planning and emergency preparedness.
Only 7 Of 210 FCT Gas Vendors Have Working Fire Extinguishers — NFEC is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
