The advantages of compressed natural gas-powered cars over high-end motor spirits and gasoline have been emphasized by Nigerians.
Speaking on Monday, some Abuja residents said that switching from gasoline to CNG had saved them at least N36,000 every week.
Remember that in August 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), which aims to convert 55,000 PMS-dependent vehicles to CNG and over 11,500 new vehicles that can run on CNG.
Michael Oluwagbemi, the PCNGI Project Director/CEO, stated in November 2024 that the project had invested $200 million in infrastructure and converted over 100,000 vehicles to CNG or bi-fuel configurations.
He claims that the cost of converting to CNG ranges from N300,000 to N600,000 when government assistance is provided, but exceeds N1,000,000 when it is not.
Nipco Gas Limited said a few days ago that 15,000 automobiles would be converted.
As of the time this article was filed, Monday’s attempts to get in touch with Oluwagbemi regarding the precise number of PCNGi beneficiaries had failed.
Nigerians discuss the advantages of CNG.
On the other hand, Abuja resident and public worker Chinoso Akatobi-Michael said that CNG had saved her N36,000 every week.
She claims that her weekly fuel expenses decreased to N4,000 from N40,000 before to switching to CNG.
She did, however, complain about the delays in CNG gas filling in Abuja, pointing out that the city has few CNG distribution facilities.
“I can state with certainty that CNG is more advantageous and economical for me than gasoline. My weekly fuel expenses have decreased by N36,000 since I switched to a CNG vehicle.
“I now fill up my cylinder with N4,000 fuel, which lasts me a week, instead of the N40,000 I used to buy every week.
But there’s the problem of fueling up with petrol. Abuja currently has very few CNG fuel stations. I have to fill up my car’s cylinder twice a week, which usually takes a lot of time in line,” she said.
According to Abuja corporate driver Kunle Adebayo, CNG is better for him than gasoline.
“Since I converted to CNG, expenditure on fuel has drastically dropped. I used to fill my tank with N50,000 for a week, but now I fill the CNG cylinder with N5,000 maximum for a week.
“This means I have saved N45,000. I wish the government would do more to ensure that more Nigerians convert their vehicles to CNG.
“He, however, observed that CNG conversion had somehow weakened his car’s engine.
“My car performs better on petrol than CNG from my observation,” he told DAILY POST.
PETROAN insists CNG superior, calls for more government intervention
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association national president, Billy Gillis-Harry emphasised that CNG is a superior alternative to petrol in terms of cost.
He, however, stated that the cost of establishing a CNG plant has been a major problem for the initiative.
According to him, the challenge of CNG is one of the reasons PETROAN has advocated for a N100 billion intervention for its members.
“No doubt CNG is a superior alternative to petrol; that is why we are pushing for it.
“However, the major challenge is the cost of setting up a CNG station; that is why we are asking the government for a N100 billion intervention.
“The government must take the CNG initiative more seriously because it benefits Nigerians more in terms of cost when compared with petrol,” he stated.
Challenges of CNG in Nigeria
It is not yet uhuru on CNG adoption in Nigeria. The majority of Nigerians still use petrol-powered vehicles, which cost between N1000 and N945 per litre.
Billy Gillis-Harry believed that the cost of establishing a CNG station is a major impediment to its spread and acceptance in Nigeria.
For Akatobi-Michael and Kunle, the major problem of CNG is the delay in getting CNG.
According to them, there are still scanty CNG stations in Abuja, resulting in delays in filling CNG-powered vehicles.
Also, Kunle opined that CNG impacts negatively on the productivity of vehicles.