The Programme Director of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative (PCNGi), Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, on Monday shared insights into the ambitious plans to transition Nigeria’s transportation sector from reliance on crude oil to the more sustainable and economically viable option of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
\nHe made this known during an interview on Channels TV.
\nEngr. Oluwagbemi emphasized that CNG is not a novel concept in Nigeria, having been in the spotlight for over 30 years. The government’s first pilot program in 2007 focused on Benin City, and subsequent attempts have been made to nationalize CNG usage. Notably, the post-COVID-19 Economic Sustainability Plan, led by then Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, also aimed to boost CNG adoption.
\nHowever, Engr. Oluwagbemi asserts that the current administration’s approach is distinct due to the direct involvement and commitment of President Bola Tinubu. For the first time, the necessary resources and focus are being dedicated to ensuring Nigeria transitions effectively to gas usage in the transportation sector. “This is the third attempt, and with the right kind of focus, concentration, and execution, I am confident we can achieve our goals,” he said.
\nWhen questioned about the ambitious nature of the project, Engr. Oluwagbemi acknowledged that significant endeavours often appear daunting. He shared a motivational adage from his father: “If it were easy, someone else would have done it.” He further stated, “With the excellent team handed to me by the president, everything will be fine. If the ambition doesn’t scare you, then it’s not worth pursuing.”
\nAddressing concerns about the safety of CNG, Engr. Oluwagbemi highlighted that CNG is not only cheaper but also safer and more reliable than traditional fuels. He noted that CNG is eight times less explosive than diesel and 18 times less explosive than PMS (Premium Motor Spirit). Additionally, its self-ignition temperature is significantly higher, making it less prone to accidental ignition. “CNG is stored in armoured, pressurized tanks, ensuring safety during transportation,” he explained.
\nDespite Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves, Engr. Oluwagbemi pointed out that the preference for crude oil by international oil companies historically hindered gas development. However, the global focus on reducing gas flaring and the advancements in gas technology have shifted priorities. “Gas is now recognized as essential for food production and every aspect of the global economy,” he remarked.
\nThe current administration is actively creating a conducive framework for local oil companies to invest in the gas sector. The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), passed by the last administration, has provided the necessary legal certainty. “The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other stakeholders are making significant investments, and we are seeing increased interest from investors,” Engr. Oluwagbemi said.
\nFor the average Nigerian, the transition to CNG means more affordable transportation. “When drivers can fuel their gas tanks at 70% less than the cost of PMS, they will undoubtedly embrace CNG,” Engr. Oluwagbemi assured.
\nOne of the primary concerns is the high cost of converting vehicles to CNG, ranging from \u20a6400,000 to \u20a61,000,000. Engr. Oluwagbemi acknowledged this challenge but highlighted the government’s measures to mitigate it. “Local manufacturing of CNG cylinders will reduce costs by eliminating the forex impact of imports. Additionally, the government aims to subsidize conversion costs for commercial vehicles, bringing them close to zero.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Programme Director of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative (PCNGi), Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, on Monday shared insights into the ambitious plans to transition Nigeria’s transportation sector from reliance on crude oil to the more sustainable and economically viable option of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). He made this known during an interview on Channels TV. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":39040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39131"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39135,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39131\/revisions\/39135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}