The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said the National Cylinder Recirculation Programme (NCRP) is expected to generate thousands of jobs through the establishment of 430 cylinder requalification centres nationwide.
The initiative, developed in collaboration with government and industry partners, seeks to strengthen the safety, identification, tracking and recirculation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders while promoting domestic gas consumption and access to cleaner cooking energy.
The programme was unveiled by stakeholders at a press conference held at SON’s headquarters in Lagos on Friday, October 23, 2026. It features a national framework for cylinder registration, inspection, requalification, digital tracking and safe recirculation.
Under the initiative, a National Cylinder Registry will assign a unique digital identity to every cylinder, enabling its movement to be monitored from registration and inspection to requalification, filling, distribution and exchange.
All cylinders introduced into the system will undergo inspections at authorised centres. Those that satisfy the required safety standards will remain in circulation, while cylinders that fail will be withdrawn pending repair or disposal.
Consumers will also be able to exchange their cylinders through approved retailers, which will forward the collected units for inspection and requalification. The arrangement is designed to progressively eliminate unsafe cylinders from circulation.
SON Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said the programme would strengthen quality assurance and boost public confidence in LPG use.
“Safe and reliable LPG use depends on more than access to gas. It requires strict adherence to cylinder quality standards, responsible handling and effective lifecycle tracking across the supply chain. Through the NCRP, we are unifying statutory quality control with digital traceability to protect Nigerian lives and property while building consumer trust in clean energy,” he said.
The planned 430 centres are expected to create employment opportunities in inspection, technical services, logistics, distribution and retail operations. They are also projected to open up business opportunities for cylinder manufacturers, equipment suppliers and technology companies.
The NCRP Secretariat Lead Programme Director and Managing Director of FuelTree, Bekeme Olowola, said the initiative would link safety regulations with broader economic and environmental objectives.
“The NCRP is about much more than putting QR codes on gas cylinders. We are building a national system that makes cylinder safety verifiable, supports the expansion of domestic LPG consumption and creates new opportunities for investment, enterprise development and job creation,” she said.
“By connecting regulators, manufacturers, marketers, retailers and requalification facilities through a common digital infrastructure, we are turning the Federal Government’s gas expansion and clean cooking ambitions into a practical, measurable programme that can also attract international climate finance.”
The programme aligns with the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas agenda and efforts to encourage households to replace firewood, charcoal and kerosene with cleaner cooking fuels.
Its digital registry could also support the verification of environmental benefits and, subject to approved methodologies and independent verification, potentially qualify the initiative for climate financing or carbon credits.
Among the industry participants is Better Gas, which operates a cylinder exchange system and micro-distribution network. The company’s General Manager, Bolaji Orofinlu, said the initiative could improve access to safe cylinders and strengthen delivery systems for consumers.
“Ensuring last-mile access requires reliable supply logistics and strong retail partnerships. Better Gas is already aligned with the objectives of the NCRP through our cylinder-swapping model and micro-distribution centres across Abuja. The programme also presents an opportunity to support cylinder requalification and expand the availability of safe cylinders in the market,” he said.
The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers also advocated the withdrawal of obsolete cylinders from circulation.
Its Executive Secretary, Bassey Essien, noted that some cylinders currently in use had exceeded their safe operational lifespan.
“There are many types of cylinders in circulation, and to be frank, some are long overdue for withdrawal. I still have a cylinder in my secretariat that is 60 years old, which I have kept as a specimen. Cylinders have a lifespan, and once they exceed it, they should be removed from circulation,” he said.
The programme’s policy framework is based on the SON Act No. 14 of 2015 and government directives covering cylinder safety, quality assurance and traceability.
Implementation is expected to commence with stakeholder onboarding and the integration of the digital registry before a phased rollout across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The national unveiling is scheduled for October 28 and 29 in Abuja, alongside the Nigeria Clean Cooking Forum 2026. An international presentation is also planned at Nigeria’s pavilion during COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, which is scheduled to hold from November 9 to 20, 2026.
SON and its partners said the initiative is intended to improve cylinder safety, increase domestic gas consumption, attract investment and expand access to cleaner cooking energy.