Nigeria has launched a new programme aimed at improving the safety of cooking gas cylinders and making it easier for consumers to access properly maintained cylinders.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in partnership with government agencies and industry stakeholders, launched the National Cylinder Recirculation Programme (NCRP) to strengthen safety standards in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector.
The programme, which involves the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and other industry groups, is designed to improve cylinder safety, digital tracking and access to cleaner cooking energy.
It will introduce a system for registering, inspecting, testing and tracking gas cylinders throughout their lifespan. The initiative is expected to address safety risks caused by expired, damaged, uncertified and poorly maintained cylinders.
Beyond improving public safety, the programme is expected to support the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas initiative, encourage local manufacturing, attract private investment and create jobs across the gas industry.
Speaking on the initiative, SON Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said safe cooking gas use required more than access to gas.
He stressed the importance of quality standards, proper handling and effective tracking of cylinders.
Okeke said the NCRP would bring quality control and digital tracking together to protect lives and property while building public confidence in cooking gas as a cleaner energy source.
A major part of the programme is the National Cylinder Registry, which will give each cylinder a unique digital identity.
The system will allow authorities and industry operators to track registration, inspection, requalification, filling, distribution and exchange.
Under the programme, existing cylinders will be taken to authorised requalification facilities for safety checks. Cylinders that meet the required standards will be approved for continued use, while those that fail the checks will be withheld for repairs or proper disposal.
Consumers will also be able to exchange their existing cylinders through approved retailers. The collected cylinders will then be inspected and requalified where possible. The process is expected to gradually remove unsafe cylinders from circulation and make access to compliant cylinders easier.
Dr Bekeme Olowola, Lead Programme Director of the NCRP Secretariat and Managing Director of FuelTree, said the initiative went beyond placing digital codes on gas cylinders.
She explained that the programme would connect regulators, manufacturers, marketers, retailers and requalification facilities through a common digital system.
According to her, this would improve safety, encourage investment, create jobs and help Nigeria attract international climate funding.
Olowola added that the programme could support the expansion of domestic cooking gas use while making it easier to measure and verify its environmental benefits.
The NCRP is also expected to support Nigeria’s climate commitments by encouraging households to move away from traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene.
Greater use of LPG could reduce exposure to harmful smoke in homes, ease pressure on forest resources and reduce some emissions associated with traditional cooking methods.
The programme’s digital system could also help Nigeria generate carbon credits, subject to approved methodologies, independent verification and regulatory approval. Revenue from such credits could help make gas cylinders more affordable, particularly for low-income households, and encourage wider adoption of cleaner cooking options.
The initiative is engaging gas marketers, cylinder manufacturers, retailers, filling plants, requalification facilities, technology providers and distribution companies to establish a nationwide cylinder exchange system.
Better Gas is among the companies participating in the programme. The company operates a cylinder exchange model and micro-distribution network designed to improve access to cooking gas.
Bolaji Orofinlu, General Manager of Better Gas, said reliable supply systems and strong retail partnerships were essential to reaching consumers. He added that the programme could support cylinder requalification and increase the availability of safe cylinders in the market.
The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has also stressed the need to remove old and unsafe cylinders from circulation.
Its Executive Secretary, Bassey Essien, said some cylinders in use had exceeded their expected lifespan. He cited a 60-year-old cylinder kept at the association’s secretariat as an example of the need to withdraw obsolete cylinders from the market.
The programme is based on the SON Act No. 14 of 2015 and relevant government directives on cylinder safety, quality control and tracking. It also supports policies of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Federal Ministry of Environment, NMDPRA, NCCC and the Decade of Gas Secretariat.
Following a press conference in Lagos, the programme will begin onboarding stakeholders, integrating its digital registry and introducing the system in phases across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The national unveiling is scheduled for October 28 and 29, 2026, in Abuja, alongside the Nigeria Clean Cooking Forum 2026. The event is expected to bring together policymakers, industry operators and potential implementation partners.
The programme will also be presented at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Trkiye, at the Nigerian Pavilion of the National Council on Climate Change.
The presentation is expected to showcase Nigeria’s approach to improving cylinder safety through digital technology, expanding access to clean cooking and attracting international climate finance.
Through the NCRP, the government hopes to strengthen gas safety, encourage private-sector investment, support local businesses and make cleaner cooking energy more accessible to Nigerians.