Your gas cylinder might have expired, and is about to explode
Many Nigerians keep cylinders for decades without checking expiry dates. The result? Countless explosions that could have been prevented.
It often begins like any other evening in many Nigerian homes, a mother boiling rice for her family, a student reheating beans before hitting the books, or a shop owner preparing akara for early customers. Then, in an instant, life changes forever.
In Lagos last year, a gas explosion ripped through a household after a cylinder that had long outlived its lifespan suddenly gave way. The blast killed three people, destroyed nearby shops, and left the community grieving. Sadly, it was not an isolated event.
From Kano to Port Harcourt, stories of sudden fireballs and shattered families have become disturbingly common. Behind many of these tragedies is a simple object that most people overlook: the gas cylinder.
Every cylinder has a life span, usually about 15 years, after which it is no longer safe to use. In Nigeria, however, countless cylinders in circulation are far older. Some have been refurbished, repainted, or patched to look “new”, while others are illegally imported second-hand. To the untrained eye, they appear solid, but inside, they are ticking bombs under pressure. This is the hidden crisis unfolding quietly in kitchens and restaurants across the country.
Also Read: Nigeria’s cooking habits are costing millions of lives
The common link is often a forgotten cylinder
The Nigerian press is filled with grim reports of gas explosions. In 2023 alone, incidents in Lagos, Kano, and Port Harcourt left dozens dead and hundreds injured. Hospitals and fire service officials often point to expired or poorly maintained cylinders as the culprits. Yet, despite these warnings, the cycle of explosions continues.
What makes this problem particularly dangerous is that many Nigerians do not know how to check the expiry date on their cylinders. Unlike expiry dates on food, the date on cylinders is not always obvious; it is often stamped into the metal in codes that only a trained eye can quickly interpret.
Even those who know where to look sometimes assume a cylinder that “looks fine” is safe. But appearances are deceptive. Rust, dents, and valve wear often hide beneath a fresh coat of paint, masking the danger within.
For many families, the cylinder sitting quietly in the corner of their kitchen is treated like a permanent fixture, something to refill again and again, year after year. By the time it has crossed two decades of use, it is essentially a pressurised hazard that can fail without warning. Every tragedy serves as a brutal reminder that cylinders are not just accessories but life-or-death equipment.
Why many Nigerians keep using expired cylinders
If the danger is so clear, why do Nigerians still cling to expired cylinders? The answer lies in a painful mix of poverty, awareness, and weak regulation. New cylinders in Nigeria cost between ₦25,000 and ₦60,000, depending on size. For many households already battling food inflation and high living costs, replacing a cylinder feels like an impossible expense. So, they keep using what they have, convincing themselves that “it will still last”.
Many Nigerians keep cylinders for decades without checking expiry dates. The result? Countless explosions that could have been prevented
This economic reality has also created a thriving underground market. Expired cylinders are collected, repainted, and resold to unsuspecting buyers. Some are even imported illegally as “fairly used” equipment. In open markets, it is not unusual to find shiny-looking cylinders at suspiciously low prices.
Regulators like the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) occasionally raid dealers or seal off filling stations found with expired stock, but enforcement remains patchy. With weak penalties and high demand, the dangerous trade continues.
Even more troubling is the practice of refurbishing expired cylinders. Welders sometimes repaint or patch leaking ones, then sell them as “as good as new”. To a struggling family, buying such a cylinder feels like a bargain. But every refill is a gamble with their lives.
The poor are essentially forced to choose between unsafe cylinders and cooking with kerosene or firewood, fuels that the government is trying to phase out. This is how survival quietly fuels disaster.
How Nigeria can make cooking gas safer without pricing out the poor
Gas itself is not the enemy. In fact, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is one of the safest, cleanest fuels when used properly. The real problem lies in how little attention is paid to the cylinders that store it. Treating cylinders with the same seriousness as medicines or tyres is non-negotiable.
Just as expired drugs are dangerous no matter how good they look, so too are expired cylinders.
Households must begin by checking the manufacturing date stamped on their cylinders and calculating the age. If a cylinder is more than 15 years old, it should be retired immediately. Warning signs like rust, dents, and valve leaks should never be ignored.
On the government’s side, enforcement needs teeth. Dealers who sell expired cylinders should face stiffer penalties, while regulators must expand public awareness campaigns to educate people about the hidden danger in their kitchens.
Affordability also sits at the heart of this crisis. Without cheaper access to safe cylinders, poor families will always cut corners. Solutions like government subsidies, financing plans, or buy-back schemes, where old cylinders are collected and destroyed in exchange for discounts on new ones, could save lives. Beyond that, local manufacturing of affordable cylinders could reduce dependence on expensive imports.
Nigeria is in the middle of an energy transition, moving citizens from kerosene and firewood to cleaner gas. But this transition will fail if it does not prioritise safety. Every explosion erodes public trust, making people question whether gas is truly safe. For the energy shift to succeed, safety and affordability must go hand-in-hand.
The truth is simple: every expired cylinder left in circulation is a potential headline waiting to happen. Families who believe they are embracing progress with gas often end up paying the ultimate price because the system asks them to shoulder safety costs they cannot afford.
The next tragedy does not have to happen. With better awareness, stricter enforcement, and policies that make safe cylinders accessible, Nigeria can turn this silent crisis into a story of prevention rather than mourning.
