The Federal Government through the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) and the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), at the weekend advised Nigerians to patronise only accredited centres for the conversion of their vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Speaking at the 2024 Nigeria Auto Journalists Association’s (NAJA) Annual Training Workshop with the theme: ‘CNG/LPG/EV Initiative: Challenges, Sustainability, Opportunities, Alternatives to Fossil Fuels in Nigeria,’ held in Lagos, representatives of PCNGI and NADDC reiterated the commitment of the government to see the programme through.
City Business News reports that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), Michael Oluwagbemi and the Director-General, (NADDC), Mr Oluwemimo Osanipin were represented at the event by Mr. Olayinka Rufai, Strategic Project Adviser (PCNGI) and Mr Ikechukwu Okoha, Assistant Director, Press and Protocol, (NADDC).
In his presentation, Oluwagbemi, explained that apart from the injection of the $250 million in the past 12 months, the government was also collaborating with financial institutions for easy access by motorists.
The Federal Government is also targeting about one million conversion vehicles by the end of 2027.
This is as the NADDC has proposed zero duty for conversion kits in the auto policy in a bid to encourage the conversion of vehicles to CNG.
Oluwagbemi assured that the government would still inject more funds to the programme and dismissed the claim in some quarters that the scheme may be affected by policy summersault.
According to him, the government planned to convert a million combustion and diesel powered -engine vehicles between now and 2027, but could not give statistics on the number of vehicles converted so far.
He stressed that the committee was partnering with Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) for safety and standards purposes.
Already, Oluwagbemi said that SON had provided over 80 standards on CNG, while the NADDC had been integral in conversion centre accreditation and conversion kit certification, among others.
He added: “By using CNG, vehicle owners will see a reduction in fuel costs of up to 50 per cent, which is especially critical for drivers who rely on their vehicles for income and transport.
“Additionally, CNG-powered vehicles are known for significantly lower maintenance costs. Unlike petrol and diesel, CNG burns cleaner, resulting in fewer engine deposits and less frequent oil changes, ultimately extending the life of vehicle engines and reducing repair expenses.
“Let me be clear—CNG is not only safe but, in many ways, even safer than traditional fuels. CNG cylinders are rigorously tested to withstand high pressures, and because natural gas is lighter than air, it disperses quickly in the highly unlikely event of a leak, reducing the risk of fire.”
Meanwhile, NADDC DG in his presentation at the training, said that the council had proposed zero customs duty payment to the Federal Government on importation of CNG kits.
Osanipin explained that in a bid to further demonstrate the safety of gas-powered vehicles, the council had converted some of its vehicles to use CNG, while some locally assembled gas-powered had also been procured by the organisation.
He pointed out that the council was engaging world class Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure that it got the best conversion solutions introduced into the country, adding that training of local manpower and manufacturing of conversion kits were also being discussed.
He added: “The CNG-powered vehicle is safer than the petrol and diesel-powered vehicle. Once you use the right kits for conversion and the personnel that did the conversion is licensed, you have no problem. You can go the distance without any problem.
“Right now, we are going from one workshop to the other to accredit the right workshop. There are two major areas we look at; one is standard. Before we accredit any workshop, you must have standard equipment and you must have qualified personnel for conversion. It must not be roadside kits.”
