By Emmanuella Anokam
Mr Quadri Fatai, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Alfa Designs Nigeria Ltd., says cylinderon, a newly developed digital application, is designed to serve as Nigeria’s national backbone for gas cylinder safety, integrity management and regulatory compliance.
Fatai said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), explaining that the app was developed to complement existing laws and standards already issued by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other regulators but which are weakly enforced.
He said the app was fully developed and ready for deployment, adding that the company was only waiting for government adoption and regulatory backing.
“We want to complement SON and other regulators. The law has always been there, but enforcement is weak. Only the government can enforce the law, which is why we are seeking official buy-in,” he said.
According to him, cylinderon is built around the concept of gas cylinders as high-pressure containers whose safety depends strictly on adherence to engineering standards throughout their lifecycle.
The CEO noted that although SON regulates the importation of new cylinders and has clear standards on inspection, handling, requalification and rejection, gaps still exist in monitoring cylinders already in circulation.
“Cylinderon is an app designed for integrity management. From the name, it is derived from ‘cylinder’—containers used to store high-pressure gases.
“What the app does is to manage the day-to-day utilisation of gas cylinders, translating existing safety standards into a practical digital system.
“Nigeria’s growing transition to gas as a cleaner and cheaper energy source has made cylinder safety more critical, especially given the country’s high ambient temperatures.
“In a tropical country like Nigeria, temperature is always on the high side. From basic gas laws, when temperature rises, pressure inside the cylinder also increases.
“If substandard cylinders are used or cylinders are poorly handled, accidents become inevitable, either through explosions or sudden gas release,” he said.
The Alfa Designs CEO said many gas-related incidents go unreported, giving a false sense of safety, while households continue to use cylinders that may have exceeded their service life.
Fatai explained that every cylinder was manufactured with a unique serial number and governed by established Nigerian standards, including codes that defined when a cylinder was no longer fit for use.
“What we simply did was to develop an application that incorporates all these already written standards and uses them as a judgment system.”
He said cylinderon had SON specifications such as the Code of Practice for Inspection and Reconditioning of Used LPG Cylinders and standards for refillable LPG cylinders, storage tanks and periodic requalification.
He said the platform was also designed to create jobs by empowering trained young engineers and entrepreneurs to operate certified inspection centres.
“The app assigns each cylinder a digital identity, captures inspection data and automatically determines whether a cylinder should pass, be repaired or be removed from circulation.
“Once information is loaded, the app uses the standards to decide if the cylinder is fit for continuous operation.
“If it is not fit, it clearly states so.
“Young entrepreneurs will carry out integrity checks, upload results on the app and issue certification with inspection and next-due dates.
“This way, we create jobs, ensure safety and reduce the huge cost the country loses to avoidable accidents,” he said.
Fatai added that gas refillers would also benefit from the system, as they could verify a cylinder’s status before refilling it, thereby limiting liability in the event of an incident.
“Cylinderon also stores inspection history, helps track cylinders nationwide and supports root-cause analysis in the event of accidents.
“With the serial number on the cylinder, a gas seller can confirm online that the cylinder is fit for operation. If it is not, gas will not be sold into it.
“In case of any incident, regulators can easily trace what happened, when the cylinder was last inspected and whether standards were followed,” he said.
The Alfa Designs boss said public awareness was also critical, noting that most Nigerians were unaware that laws existed governing cylinder safety.
“Cylinderon helps users know whether their cylinder has integrity issues, tracks fit-for-use cylinders and stores national safety data.
“It is about moving from reactive response to proactive prevention,” he said.
“With government support, cylinderon can significantly reduce gas-related accidents, protect consumers and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s gas transition.
“By deploying cylinderon, Nigeria can build an end-to-end digital safety net for gas cylinders, save lives and protect property,” Fatai said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Emmanuel Afonne
