By Emmanuella Anokam
The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PiCNG) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) says more than 100,000 vehicles in Nigeria now use CNG.
The Executive Chairman/CEO, PiCNG, Mr Ismaeel Ahmed, said this on Friday in Abuja.
Ahmed spoke at the Alfa Designs Nigeria Limited CNG products unveiling and stakeholders’ engagement in collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Represented by Mr Zayyanu Tambari, Chief Compliance Officer, PiCNG, he said that as at 2023, there were only about 11,000 CNG converted vehicles in the country.
The products were unveiled by the PiCNG CEO, alongside other dignitaries.
The dignitaries include Malam Ali M. Ali, NAN MD, Mr Mubarak Abdul, Alfa Designs Chief Operating Officer, Pankaj Bohhra of Mijo Auto Gas (Original Equipment Manufacturer), PiCNG officials and others.
The products were CNG conversion kits by Mijo AutoGas, CNG cylinder by EKC International, CNG Mother Station by CIMC ENRIC and Optical Gas Imaging Camera by Opgal Optronics.
“Ultimately, everything we are doing on the CNG programme is about the number of vehicles on the road that are using CNG as an alternative fuel or as a complement fuel.
“This is a legacy programme of the CNG that has been around for about a decade because the first CNG facilities were commissioned in Nigeria in 2012 by NIPCO in Benin City.
“Today, as we speak, there are over 100,000 cars that are using CNG on the Nigerian roads. Companies in the private sector and operators are refitting their fleet, especially the long haulage to move on CNG.
“Our target is to covert one million by 2027,” he said.
According to him, this is a direct presidential mandate to convert one million vehicles or to have at least one million vehicles either converted, factory fitted, manufactured in Nigeria or imported.
“One million vehicles at least using CNG by 2027 ending,” he said.
Ahmed said that the presidential CNG initiative was working with stakeholders and partners to meet the target of Mr President to ensure that CNG became a preferred alternative, cheaper, safer and cleaner alternative.
He recalled that in October 2023 when the president inaugurated the programme, there were only 11 states with one form of CNG infrastructure or another.
“Basically, it is only around the pipeline system that we have either a conversion center or a retail outlet. And there are only about 11 states.
“Today, there are over 25 states with a CNG footprint in one form or another. And about six or eight states will join in the next few months.
“We hope and we are confident that by end of next year, we will be able to cover the entire country. The target is to do 36 states plus Abuja by 2027.
“I believe that at the rate we are going, by the end of 2026, we will have taken the CNG footprint in every state, if not every senatorial district in Nigeria,” he said.
He described the unveiling as a milestone in Nigeria’s transition toward cleaner, affordable, and more sustainable transportation and industrial energy solutions.
He commended the Alfa Designs Nigeria Limited’s partnership with NAN in convening the engagement and unveiling new CNG products developed with leading global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
“This initiative shows the growing momentum across the country as innovators, local manufacturers and development partners actively contribute to Nigeria’s Gas Expansion Programme,” he said.(NAN)(www.nan.ng)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman
