The Lagos State Government has reassured residents of Ijora-Badia in Ifelodun Local Council over the proposed construction of a 20-metric-tonne liquefied petroleum gas refilling plant by Shop Direct Gas Resources Limited, stating that environmental safety and community protection will guide the approval process.

The assurance was given during an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) stakeholders’ engagement organised by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources in collaboration with Shop Direct Gas Resources Limited. The meeting was attended by community leaders, traditional representatives, Community Development Associations, Community Development Committees, and officials from the Ministries of Environment and Energy and Mineral Resources.

Speaking at the session, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Gaji Tajudeen, said the engagement formed part of the mandatory EIA process required before the project’s approval, which is being developed by Shop Direct in a joint venture with Gas Terminal Distribution Limited.

Tajudeen, who was represented by the Director of Environmental Assessment, Dr Sojinu Olasunkanmi, said early stakeholder engagement is a key requirement of the state’s environmental governance framework. According to him, it enables regulators to identify potential risks before approvals are granted, thereby preventing future disputes or environmental challenges.

He acknowledged residents’ concerns about safety and stressed that government oversight would extend beyond the approval stage. The ministry, he said, would continue technical reviews and compliance monitoring throughout the project to ensure that environmental standards, safety protocols and community welfare considerations are fully addressed.

“For us, the safety of our people is paramount. This is a residential environment and we cannot afford to allow anything to go wrong. The submitted EIA report will be thoroughly evaluated, safety issues will be interrogated and we will follow up during construction to ensure the company implements everything it has promised,” he said.

The Project Manager at Shop Direct Gas Resources Limited, Seun Arogundade, also assured stakeholders of the facility’s safety.

He noted concerns about the plant’s siting within the community, explaining that the proposed location is bordered on the eastern and western flanks by high-tension power lines and a school.

Arogundade, however, said the company is complying strictly with regulatory guidelines aimed at protecting storage tanks and pipelines from corrosion, a major cause of gas leakage. He added that standard safety measures have been implemented to mitigate the risk of explosions and strengthen public confidence.

He further disclosed that a firewall system would be constructed, including reinforced concrete protective walls separating the facility from adjoining properties.

“In this case, we are protecting the pipelines by installing additional sacrificial anodes on exposed steel components in direct contact with the soil. We are also maintaining the required safety setback distances as mandated by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, particularly between storage tanks and adjoining properties,” he said.