The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to deliver on the conversion of at least 1 million vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) enabled.
This is because the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative PCNGI offers a 50 per cent discount on conversion costs which is as high as N750,000 to Uber/ Bolt drivers.
Speaking to Journalists during the inspection of the conversion sites in Abuja, Omo Imoukhuede, the Commercial Operations Manager, PCNGI said that efforts were ongoing to ensure awareness and adoption of the CNG as a safer alternative to petrol.
He explained that the government in the immediate is immediately focused on the conversion of vehicles used for commercial transport, which according to him will reduce the cost of transportation for Nigerians.
According to him, “The PCNGI has been strategic in pushing the CNG initiative to ensure that the adoption and awareness comes to light. We are starting with Abuja and we will be rolling out in other states across the Federation. Hopefully and as you can see, work is ongoing, the task will be accomplished”.
In his remarks, Sunday Ayoola, the Assistant Manager, of NIPCO Gas Airport road, which is one of the conversion sites, said the converted vehicles can still be driven safely on petrol.
According to him, a 20kg cylinder of CNG can travel a distance of 150Km adding that such a cylinder will cost N4,000 to be filled at N200/standard cubic meter.
Speaking on safety, Ayoola said “In case of impact nothing happens to this storage because it is 7mm (millimetre) thick. The cylinder has been designed to withstand impact and to withstand temperature.
“People are always apprehensive about natural gas, petrol and their volatility. Natural gas is lighter than and once it escapes from the cylinder it goes up above air making sure that there is no spool around, unlike petrol.
“When there is leakage of petrol it creates a spool within the vehicle and any slight source of ignition, the vehicle is ignited. This is not so with natural gas and because of that basic property it is safer when compared to petrol.”