The Senate at its plenary session of Wednesday, 30 May 2018, read for the second time a Bill for an Act to repeal the Explosives Act, 2004 and re-enact the Explosive Act, 2018. The Bill seeks to make comprehensive provisions for the use and control of explosives for public safety.
Leading the debate, the sponsor of the Bill, Sen. Danjuma La’ah (PDP: Kaduna) explained that the Bill would align Nigeria’s regulations on Explosives with global best practices, as its provisions were non-existent in the Principal Act. According to Sen. La’ah, the objectives of the Bill include:
- The provision for the approval of licenses in the transportation of explosives on public roads.
- The approval of licenses for the manufacturing of Explosives.
- Regulations that affect the licensing and construction of Explosive Magazines.
- Provisions for the compulsory identification, packaging and labeling of Explosives.
Sen. La’ah informed lawmakers that the approval of the aforementioned requirements would be the sole responsibility of the Chief Inspector of Explosives (CIE) appointed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). He further noted that the Bill, if passed will provide for a broadened legislation that meets the needs of an evolving society while providing for stricter penalties for offenders who fail to comply with its stipulated provisions.
The Bill which has been referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative input would be considered by the Senate within four weeks following the submission of the Committee’s report.
