By Peter Uzoho and Oluchi Chibuzor
Techno Oil Nigeria Limited has received the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON)’s Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certification for its 12.5 kg and 6.25kg steel gas cylinders.
The MANCAP is a mandatory product certification scheme put in place by SON to ensure that all locally manufactured products in the country conform to the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) before such products are presented for sale in the market or exported.
Speaking at the official certificate presentation ceremony yesterday in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, Techno Oil Limited, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, said upon commencement of full manufacturing activities in 2019, the company had worked closely with SON in the area of in-process production procedure, quality checks and laboratory procedures.
She said as company, Techno Oil would continue to uphold practices that would engender the production of quality products, while making compliance to every established regulatory standards and procedure their anchor.
“The journey that culminated in today’s occasion started in 2015 when Techno Oil announced its decision to establish a state-of the-art LPG cylinder manufacturing plant. Motivated by our strong decision for quality and total compliance to regulatory procedures, Techno Oil had sought the guidance of SON on equipment and machinery specification that would guarantee the production of quality LPG cylinders capable of competing anywhere in the world,” Obi said.
On deepening the usage of the product in the country, she said: “our production capacity is five million cylinders per annum and we have over-capacity; that is why we are asking government to discourage sub-importation of substandard cylinders, so that more Nigerians can patronise us and we can make profit. These are huge investment we have made in Nigeria and we want government to support us.
“This strategic collaboration with SON became stronger year-on-year till date and the outcome is the reason why we are gathered here today to witness the presentation of TechnoGas LPG cylinders MANCAP certificate”.
In a keynote address at the presentation, the Group Head, LPG and State Coordinator, Lagos Office 1, SON, Nwaoma Olujie, said the award was given to companies that had distinguished themselves in their various manufacturing and production categories, particularly as LPG is classified as life-endangering category.
“Your facility underwent all through these procedures of series of regulatory inspections conducted by SON officials, including a production facility tour, online sampling of the LPG cylinder, on-the-spot analysis of samples and confirmatory test in SON laboratory to check for compliance to standards.
“At the end of these rigorous exercises, your LPG steel cylinders were adjudged to conform to Nigerian Industrial Standards, NIS 69 and NIS 220.”
The SON official, however, warned that MANCAP certificate would be valid for three years during which the products would be monitored for consistent compliance to the relevant NIS under surveillance inspection after which the products will be re-certified.
“It is important to note that LPG cylinders are classified as life endangering products and compliance to standards is mandatory.
“Your certificate will be withdrawn if during surveillance inspections, your certified products consistently failed to meet the requirements of the standards and effective corrective actions are not taken to produce quality cylinders thereby putting the lives of Nigerian at risk,” she stressed
