The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced its goal to convert one million petroleum vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by 2027. This initiative was detailed at the “Park to Park” CNG Mobilisation Programme in Abuja, where the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG) Initiative signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with various conversion centres and distributed free CNG conversion kits.
Michael Oluwagbemi, the Programme Manager of Pi-CNG, stated that the initiative has the mandate from President Bola Tinubu to convert one million commercial vehicles within the next two years. The programme initially had seven conversion centres but has now expanded to over 120 across the country. Stakeholders, such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), will participate by nominating vehicles for conversion.
Oluwagbemi highlighted the benefits of CNG, noting that it is cheaper and more reliable than petrol, leading to savings of 40-70% for road transport operators. This initiative is expected to reduce transportation costs for goods, people, and services, primarily focusing on mass transit.
Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, the Global Vice-President of the International Transport Federation, and Alhaji Yusuf Lawal, the National President of NARTO, both encouraged transport union members to support and comply with the CNG conversion efforts. They emphasized that this transition would ultimately lower transportation and food prices.
President Tinubu has directed all government ministries, departments, and agencies to procure CNG-powered vehicles as part of Nigeria’s move towards cleaner energy. He underscored the importance of energy reforms and the necessity for public officials to lead by example in adopting CNG vehicles to achieve a prosperous future for the nation.