By Okafor Joseph
September 17, 2024

The Federal Government’s Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi) has delivered 150 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits and cylinders for commercial vehicle conversion in Oyo State.

These kits were distributed to three designated centers: NIPCO at Toll Gate along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Automation Auto Gas in Podo Industrial Village, and Bovas’ Ajibode retail outlet. Transport unions are expected to present their buses at these locations for conversion to CNG.

The CNG initiative by the Federal Government is part of efforts to reduce transportation costs following the recent hikes in petrol and diesel prices.

Louisa Afu, Business Development Executive of P-CNGi, explained that the conversion of commercial vehicles, particularly those owned by unions such as NARTO, NURTW, RTEAN, and state transport vehicles, will be free of charge. “The delivery of these 150 kits represents the first phase, and more will follow as the initiative progresses,” Afu said.

She further stated that this was President Tinubu’s way of showing empathy to Nigerians, fulfilling his promise to provide one million free conversion kits for the commercial transport sector. The goal is to help moderate transport fares nationwide.

Afu emphasized the importance of switching to CNG, describing it as a safer, cheaper, and cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel. “Nigeria has abundant gas resources, which makes the CNG option not only sustainable but also more economical,” she added. Several refilling stations are already operational in Ibadan, with more set to open.

Negotiations are also underway with banks to provide financing options for individual vehicle owners to benefit from the conversion. Currently, the cost of conversion ranges from N900,000 to N1.2 million, depending on the center.

The P-CNGi executive highlighted that vehicles manufactured from 1996 onwards are CNG-compliant, making them easier to convert.

Ademola Adeoye, Vice Chairman of the Oyo State Park Management System (PMS), praised the Federal Government’s initiative, expressing optimism that transport fares would drop once commercial drivers embrace CNG. “The savings on petrol costs are significant, and as more of our members switch to CNG, fares will start to fall,” he said.

However, Sowole Jaiyeola, who converted his 2010 Toyota Corolla to CNG two months ago, voiced concerns over the high cost of conversion. He urged the government to lower the conversion costs so that more Nigerians could take advantage of the initiative.