By Matthew Johnson

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has launched the National Cylinder Recirculation Programme (NCRP) at the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cooking (NACC) Conference 2026 in Abuja.

SON is a parastatal in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

The programme establishes a national framework to register, identify, inspect, track and recirculate liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, with a target of at least 43 million certified cylinders nationwide.

It responds to a long-standing safety concern in Nigeria’s LPG market: expired, damaged and substandard cylinders still in circulation. Under the NCRP, every cylinder is onboarded onto the digital National Cylinder Registry and receives a unique identity linked to a QR code, so its movement and condition can be followed from manufacture and distribution through inspection and requalification.

Registered cylinders are tracked through this National Cylinder Registry. Cylinders returned through approved retail channels are inspected at Authorised Requalification Facilities (ARFs). Those that meet the required standards go back into circulation, while those that fail are withheld for corrective action or disposal in line with applicable requirements.

The programme is expected to cover all six geopolitical zones, bringing regulators, manufacturers, requalification facilities, retailers and other industry participants under one coordinated framework. It is intended to make cylinder use safer, make the supply chain more accountable and strengthen the domestic LPG market.

The Conference brought together government representatives, regulators, industry operators, clean cooking advocates and private sector investors to discuss how the programme can improve household safety, widen access to cleaner cooking fuels and create opportunities across the LPG value chain.

In the keynote address, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, represented by Dr. Salim Mohammed, Director of the Weights and Measures Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, set out the scale of the programme and its economic potential.

“The National Cylinder Recirculation Program is more than a regulatory initiative; it is a transformative ₦2.27 trillion national investment in safety, industrialization, and human development. By deploying at least 43 million certified cylinders and establishing 42 requalification centers nationwide, we are creating thousands of skilled jobs and laying the foundation for long-term sector planning.” Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

A panel session, “Expanding LPG Access and Opportunities in the Nigerian Clean Cooking Sector”, examined the investment, regulatory, distribution and technology requirements for extending LPG access.

Representing Dr. ‘Bekeme Olowola, Managing Director of FuelTree, Mr Femi Oye, FuelTree’s Chief Technologist, stressed the importance of reliable data in drawing investment into clean cooking, and called for a wider range of financing, from grants and technical support to commercial equity and specialised financial products, to help businesses reach last-mile consumers.

“Data transparency is the cornerstone of capital mobilisation. Investors, capital providers, and allocators are consistently asking for empirical data. Whatever you cannot track and record, you cannot measure, and without verified data, you cannot build a truly bankable pipeline for the clean cooking ecosystem.” Femi Oye, FuelTree

Engr. Sabo Ahmed Barau, representing the Executive Director, Health, Safety and Community Relations of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), pointed to the importance of oversight across the LPG supply chain.

“From the government and regulatory standpoint, our priority is ensuring that every stage, from production, storage, and handling to last-mile delivery, is strictly monitored around the clock to safeguard Nigerian households.” Engr. Sabo Ahmed Barau, NMDPRA

Princess Odiaka, CEO of Cook-Blue and Chiffinity Intelligence Consult, spoke about the role of composite cylinders and community-based models in widening access.

“Through our ‘Trash-to-Cook’ initiative, rural women exchange recyclable household waste to pay for clean gas refills. By turning discarded waste into currency, we address affordability, clean up the environment, and deliver clean cooking as an accessible service right to their doorsteps.” Princess Odiaka, Cook-Blue

Professor Joseph Aigbedion, Founder of Falcon Corporation and Century One, argued that bulk LPG infrastructure must be connected to community-level distribution.

“Building 15,000-metric-ton terminal depots is only the first step. The real challenge has always been arterial distribution, creating decentralized clusters that safely deliver clean energy directly to the women and families who need it most.” Prof. Joseph Aigbedion, Falcon Corporation and Century One

The programme also opens opportunities in domestic manufacturing, technical services, logistics, retail distribution and investment in clean cooking infrastructure. Its digital tracking framework could additionally supply reliable data for measuring emissions reductions and accessing climate finance, subject to applicable methodologies, verification requirements and regulatory approvals.

SON leads the NCRP in collaboration with relevant government agencies and industry organisations, including the NMDPRA, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and the Ministry of Women Affairs. After its national launch in Abuja, the programme will be launched internationally at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, on 12 November 2026, where Nigeria will present its approach to LPG safety, digital traceability and clean cooking to a global audience.