In response to the Nweni gas explosion on December 25th, which killed a number of people, the Nigerian government is instituting new safety regulations for any operating petrol stations and gas plants in the country, Vanguard reports. The targeted entities will now be required to obtain a certificate of safety from the Department of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, in order to increase safety and prevent disasters.

Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige, said that, going forward, no license issued by the Department of Petroleum Resources would be valid unless there was a certification from the OSH. The minister added that factories in all 36 states would be subject to more rigorous inspections.

In another report, there are some indications that the government of Nigeria will prosecute the company responsible for the Nnewi gas explosion, and others who breach safety standards. TheTide reports that Minister Ngige stated that, for companies ignoring safety standards, “if there are lapses, they will have to correct them, otherwise, we will have to prosecute them.”