By William Emmanuel Ukpoju
As Nigeria accelerates its shift to a gas-powered economy, ensuring safety across the entire value chain has become a national priority. The Gas Safety Conference (GSC) 2025, themed “Transitioning to a Natural Gas-Powered professionals, security operatives, civil society, and government officials in Abuja for a two-day dialogue focused on safety, collaboration, and sustainable energy growth.
Hosted at the prestigious Abuja Continental Hotel, the conference served as Nigeria’s premier national platform dedicated to gas safety awareness, capacity building, regulation, and stakeholder engagement.
A Cross-Sector Commitment to Gas Safety
Mr. Osten Olorunsola, Chairman of the GSC, welcomed delegates by reaffirming the event’s mission: “We are here today not to pay lip service to safety but to make a commitment—five of them in fact: commitment to regulatory compliance, to technology and innovation, to human capital development, to multi-stakeholder collaboration, and to data-driven safety culture.”
He stressed that safety in gas operations must evolve from a regulatory afterthought to a foundational cultural principle. According to him, the goal is to ensure a unified front among public institutions, private players, and communities in driving Nigeria’s gas-led energy transition safely.
Ministerial Voices: Safety is National Business
Representing the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Dr. Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) delivered a resonant message:
“This year’s theme is very apt and aligns with Nigeria’s goals on energy transition and security. Natural gas, of which Nigeria has abundance, offers us a strategic competitive advantage in powering our nation’s sustainability.”
The Minister outlined key focus areas for national gas safety:
• Safe operations grounded in international best practices.
• A robust regulatory framework to uphold standards.
• Stakeholder collaboration to share knowledge and promote best practices.
• Capacity building across all tiers of industry professionals.
He reiterated the Ministry’s full commitment to working with stakeholders to embed a safety-first culture in the gas sector.
Information, Orientation, and Public Awareness
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Chinasa Ogbodonnam emphasized that:
“Safety is not just about regulations and technical standards—it’s also about what people know, how they behave, and what they believe.”
He applauded the GSC for fostering a national platform that enhances regulatory awareness and stakeholder coordination. According to the Minister, the success of Nigeria’s natural gas revolution hinges on public trust and mass education:
• Effective public communication and orientation campaigns.
• Countering misinformation around gas use.
• Promoting fact-based safety narratives for households and industry users alike.
“The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation stands ready to support initiatives that elevate safety, increase awareness, and foster inclusive dialogue,” he added.
NMDPRA: Embedding Safety Across the Gas Value Chain
Dr. Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) underscored that the safety of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure is a shared duty at every stage:
“This conference brings together regulators, operators, safety professionals, policymakers, and international partners to embed safety in every aspect of the Nigerian gas value chain—from upstream production, midstream processing, and transportation to downstream distribution and usage.”
He emphasized that safety should no longer be an afterthought but a living culture:
• Continuous improvement of regulations.
• Open dialogue around emerging risks.
• Global best practice adoption.
• Reinforcement of public-private trust.
Dr. Lamorde called on participants to ensure their contributions shape actionable, long-term safety practices and not just conference statements.
Thematic Focus Areas and Policy Directions
Throughout the two-day event, technical sessions and plenaries covered critical themes:
• Operational safety for LPG, CNG, LNG, and biogas.
• Standards for gas-powered vehicles.
• Emergency response systems and simulation practices.
• End-user education and household safety.
• Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations.
• Risk management and insurance models.
Industry leaders and regulators shared success stories and case studies to promote a harmonized national safety strategy.
Looking Ahead: Safety as the Foundation of Energy Growth
The 2025 Gas Safety Conference has reaffirmed that the natural gas transition cannot succeed without a deeply ingrained safety culture. From kitchens to power plants, and from filling stations to industrial hubs, safety must become a national ethic—enforced by policy, sustained by knowledge, and supported by public trust.
“Gas safety is not the responsibility of regulators alone,” one speaker remarked. “It belongs to every stakeholder—government, industry, civil society, and the public.”
As the conference closed with renewed commitment, delegates pledged to turn discussions into decisions and policies into public trust. The shared objective: a gas-powered Nigeria that is safer, cleaner, and stronger.