{"id":69990,"date":"2025-07-08T14:16:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T14:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=69990"},"modified":"2025-07-08T14:20:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T14:20:13","slug":"if-you-still-doubt-picng-ask-taxi-drivers-in-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2025\/07\/08\/if-you-still-doubt-picng-ask-taxi-drivers-in-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"If You Still Doubt PICNG, Ask Taxi Drivers in Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ade Iyamoye\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you still doubt the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PICNG), ask any taxi driver in Nigeria. Not the political analyst on television, not the serial critic on social media, but the men and women who spend hours under the sun, behind steering wheels, navigating through the bustling cities of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu. Ask the tricycle riders in the suburbs, the commercial bus drivers who rise before dawn and return home after dusk.<\/p>\n

They will tell you in plain language that the shift to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), is not just welcome; it is a lifeline. It is real, practical, and it is changing lives.<\/p>\n

Launched by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in response to the fuel subsidy removal in May 2023, the PICNG has become one of the most impactful initiatives of this administration.<\/p>\n

At first, there was skepticism. Nigerians, battered by years of unmet expectations, were cautious but within a year, that caution has given way to applause.<\/p>\n

Those who have embraced the initiative, especially in the transport sector, are not holding back their excitement. They speak of savings, stability, and sustainability. And it\u2019s not just talk. The numbers are there. The results are visible. The people are experiencing it firsthand.<\/p>\n

Since the removal of subsidy, the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, has skyrocketed with Nigerians groaning. For commercial drivers whose livelihoods depend on daily fuel consumption, this jump meant a near-collapse of business.<\/p>\n

It became common to hear stories of drivers who parked their vehicles or drastically cut their working hours because fueling had become too expensive. Then came CNG, and hope began to return.<\/p>\n

Compressed Natural Gas now sells at an average of \u20a6230 per Standard Cubic Metre (SCM). It is not only cheaper but also more efficient for many vehicle types. When you compare costs, the difference is striking. A standard commercial vehicle consumes more than 50 percent in daily savings.<\/p>\n

Over the course of a week, a month, or a year, the economic impact on the driver and his household is transformative. A driver saving \u20a67,000 daily on fuel spends \u20a6210,000 less every month. That is school fees covered, rent eased, and food security improved.<\/p>\n

From Lagos to Kaduna, stories abound. A tricycle operator in Benin City, simply known as Osahon, said switching to CNG was the best decision he made in 2024.<\/p>\n

He shared that before the switch, he spent \u20a64,500 on petrol daily. After conversion, he now uses about \u20a61,800 worth of CNG per day. With those savings, Osahon was able to repair his leaking roof and is currently saving towards buying a second tricycle. Like Osahon, many commercial transporters have become passionate advocates of the CNG alternative.<\/p>\n

The government, under the leadership of President Tinubu, did not only announce the initiative but backed it with policy, planning, and funding.<\/p>\n

The Presidential CNG Initiative was officially unveiled with a commitment to deliver over 11,500 CNG-powered buses and tricycles, 55,000 conversion kits, and over 100 refueling stations nationwide in the first phase. Implementation is ongoing.<\/p>\n

According to the PICNG Secretariat, over 6,000 vehicles have already been converted, and over 30 conversion workshops have been licensed and are operational.<\/p>\n

In April 2024, the Federal Government launched the pilot phase of its CNG-powered buses, beginning with Abuja and Lagos. These buses now ply several routes in the two cities, offering commuters a cheaper alternative in transportation fare and introducing cleaner fuel technology to urban mobility.<\/p>\n

With Nigeria sitting on over 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, the country is more than capable of sustaining a transition to CNG. What had been lacking over the years was the political will to prioritize and implement a viable gas transition strategy.<\/p>\n

The Tinubu administration has shown that commitment. It is not a quick fix, and the government has never pretended that the transition would be overnight. But what is clear is that Nigerians can see the progress, and many are embracing the change with enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

Beyond individual conversions, several state governments have keyed into the initiative. Edo State, for instance, has begun a state-supported conversion scheme for civil service vehicles and commercial operators.<\/p>\n

Ogun State has expressed readiness to build CNG refueling stations and encourage the use of CNG-powered government buses.<\/p>\n

Private sector players are also not left behind. Ride-hailing companies like Bolt and Uber are in conversations to begin incorporating CNG vehicles into their fleets to reduce operational costs and maximize profitability for their drivers.<\/p>\n

The impact extends beyond fuel savings. PICNG is already stimulating economic growth in the automobile, energy, and vocational training sectors. Young Nigerians are being trained as CNG technicians, conversion experts, and maintenance engineers.<\/p>\n

A new ecosystem of employment and enterprise is emerging around this green transition. Workshops that were once idle are now filled with vehicles waiting for conversion.<\/p>\n

Entrepreneurs are setting up refueling stations. Investors are expressing confidence. For every driver who saves money, there is a technician who earns money, creating a cycle of economic activity that benefits the nation.<\/p>\n

Critics argue that the infrastructure is not yet sufficient. But no serious-minded person expects a nationwide switch of this magnitude to happen without gradual scaling.<\/p>\n

Rome was not built in a day. And in just two years, what the Tinubu administration has done is to lay the foundations of an energy revolution that is already impacting thousands and poised to impact millions.<\/p>\n

The pace may not be perfect, but the direction is clear. Nigerians are watching and benefiting. The momentum is visible.<\/p>\n

From a climate perspective, the use of CNG also contributes to Nigeria\u2019s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. CNG burns cleaner than petrol, releasing significantly less carbon dioxide and almost no particulate matter.<\/p>\n

This means better air quality in cities, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and a healthier population in the long term. It is not just an economic decision but an environmental one. Cleaner, cheaper, and better.<\/p>\n

What the PICNG has done is to demystify the transition to gas in a way that is relatable and accessible. No longer is it just a boardroom policy. It is in the streets. It is at the motor parks. It is in the workshops. It is on the roads. And it is in the smiles of Nigerian drivers who now spend less and earn more.<\/p>\n

Every litre of petrol saved is more food on the table. Every successful conversion is a step toward national energy independence.<\/p>\n

So, if you still doubt PICNG, don\u2019t read another social media post. Don\u2019t rely on hearsay or political commentary. Just ask the drivers who live this reality every day. Ask them how it has changed their businesses. Ask the mechanic who now has steady work. Ask the commuter who pays less on a CNG bus route. The answers will be consistent, honest, and enthusiastic.<\/p>\n

This is not propaganda. This is not guesswork. It is the Nigerian experience; real, measurable, and unfolding before our eyes. The Presidential Initiative on CNG is not perfect, but it is working. The people know it. The drivers feel it. The country is benefiting.<\/p>\n

So again, if you still doubt PICNG, ask taxi drivers in Nigeria. They are the truest witnesses of a policy that is finally making sense where it matters most-on the road.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ade Iyamoye\u00a0 If you still doubt the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PICNG), ask any taxi driver in Nigeria. Not the political analyst on television, not the serial critic on social media, but the men and women who spend hours under the sun, behind steering wheels, navigating through the bustling cities of Lagos, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":69991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1706],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-69990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69990","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\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69990"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69993,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69990\/revisions\/69993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}