The Federal Government has disclosed plans to increase Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, conversions by 733% by June 2025, rising from 30,000 in October 2024 to 250,000.
The Presidential CNG Initiative, Pi-CNG, part of President Bola Tinubu’s palliative interventions, also aims to reach 1,000,000 conversions by 2027, marking a 3,000% increase.
Engr. Zayyanu Tambari, the Regulatory & Compliance Coordinator of Pi-CNG, shared this at a virtual event organized by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria. He noted that 85 CNG buses were already delivered to cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Ibadan. The initiative includes expanding CNG refueling sites, local manufacturing of CNG kits, and a financing scheme for further conversions.
Engr. Tambari, who noted the safety of CNG, said the Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System, would be launched to enhance safety practices, adding: “In September 2024, the Pi-CNG launched additional nine CNG refueling sites and related concessioning of Tricycle routes around them for additional 2,000 tricycles in 2024. Three states were activated.
“In October 2024, we launched local manufacturing of CNG kits and cylinders and CNG fund to bridge infrastructure gap and CNG Green Financing Initiative. In November and December 2024, we intend to launch a finance scheme for the refueling add-on program and completion of 100,000 conversions and countdown to one million Presidents kits.”
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The Deputy Operations manager, NIPCo, Ujiadugbeli Nosiediana, was also present at the event and said the company has been in the forefront of the nation’s CNG conversion for several years, adding: “NIPCo started CNG conversion in 2009. It pioneered Auto-CNG distribution for automobiles in Nigeria and has been providing the economical fuel the masses.”
“Currently, 19 CNG stations are operational, including four mother stations, which are feeding CNG to daughter booster stations in various parts of Nigeria. We have five conversion workshops operational in Benin City, Ibafo, Abuja and Ibadan, converting PMS vehicles to CNG.
“In Benin city, seven CNG stations are already operational and catering to more than 10,000 long-haul (buses and trucks) vehicles with auto-CNG fuel.”
With 19 operational CNG stations and several conversion workshops, Nigeria is making significant strides in driving its energy transition, particularly with safety standards being ensured by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
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