SON, Regulators Launch Digital Tracking Scheme to Remove Unsafe Gas Cylinders

.Initiative targets expired, damaged cylinders, introduces digital registry and explores carbon credits to lower clean-cooking costs

Bennett Oghifo

The circulation of expired, damaged and uncertified cooking gas cylinders in Nigeria is set to face tighter scrutiny as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other regulators launch a national tracking programme to strengthen safety checks, improve accountability and prevent unsafe cylinders from remaining in use.

The National Cylinder Recirculation Programme (NCRP), announced at a press conference at SON’s Operational Headquarters in Lagos yesterday, will introduce a digital registry to track liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders through distribution, refilling, inspection, exchange and requalification.

The initiative brings together the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), relevant federal ministries and private-sector operators to address weaknesses in cylinder identification, inspection records and lifecycle management.

SON Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said effective LPG safety required more than ensuring the availability of gas, stressing the need for strict quality standards and reliable monitoring of cylinders throughout the supply chain.

“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,” he said.

He said the programme would integrate statutory quality control with digital traceability to protect lives and property while strengthening consumer confidence in clean energy.

At the centre of the initiative is the National Cylinder Registry, powered by FuelTree’s virtual Cylinder Recirculation Management System. The platform will use unique cylinder identities and smart QR tags to record movements and key lifecycle events, enabling participating stakeholders to check cylinder status and monitor compliance.

FuelTree Director and Chief Technology Officer, Femi Oye, said the system would provide digital records of inspections and requalification cycles while generating data to measure the programme’s potential environmental benefits.

Beyond safety, the initiative is designed to support Nigeria’s transition from traditional cooking fuels, including firewood, charcoal and kerosene, to cleaner alternatives such as LPG.

The programme will seek to establish a verifiable basis for generating carbon credits from reductions in the use of traditional fuels. However, any credits will depend on approved methodologies, independent verification and compliance with applicable regulations.

Lead Programme Director of the NCRP Secretariat, Dr. Bekeme Olowola, said the programme’s success would depend on effective coordination among regulators, LPG marketers, retailers and approved cylinder requalification facilities.

She said linking cylinder safety compliance with measurable environmental benefits could deliver domestic safety improvements while strengthening Nigeria’s climate commitments.

The proposed carbon-credit mechanism could also create an additional funding stream to expand access to cylinders and reduce refill costs for vulnerable households. However, the extent of such benefits will depend on the financing structure and implementation of the scheme.

Chief Executive Officer of Better Gas, Gbolahan Obanikoro, said the programme could strengthen cylinder-swapping services and expand access to safe cylinders through improved retail distribution.

He said Better Gas was already aligned with the initiative through its cylinder-swapping model and micro-distribution centres across Abuja, adding that the programme offered opportunities to support cylinder requalification and improve availability in the market.

Other participating institutions include the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Decade of Gas Secretariat and the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles.

The programme is anchored on Section 5(1) of the SON Act No. 14 of 2015, a presidential directive and a National Assembly directive, which the organisers cited as the legal and policy basis for strengthening cylinder quality control, safety compliance and digital tracking.

Implementation will begin with stakeholder onboarding, integration with the digital registry and rollout activities 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 unveiling is also planned for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled for November 9 to 20 in Antalya, Türkiye.

The programme’s impact will ultimately depend on effective enforcement, industry participation and consumers’ access to certified cylinders. Its carbon-credit component will also require credible emissions data and independent verification before any anticipated financial benefits can be realised.