FG, firm plan 100,000 CNG vehicles conversion

The Federal Government, through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, has announced plans to convert 100,000 vehicles to compressed natural gas within 18 months.

SMEDAN said the initiative, which is in collaboration with the presidential committee on the Compressed Natural Gas Initiative and Rolling Energy, was focused on reducing costs for small and medium enterprises while supporting Nigeria’s transition to cleaner energy.

The Director-General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, in a statement on Saturday, said a centre created by the agency and the firm would convert at least 10 per cent of the one million CNG vehicles mandated by President Bola Tinubu to hit Nigerian roads by 2027.

According to Odii, the centre would convert nine vehicles daily, adding that it was also designed to train young Nigerians in CNG conversion, maintenance, and repair, thereby creating new entrepreneurial opportunities.

He described the project as a strategic move to help SMEs adapt to changing energy needs.

“The President has given a mandate that he wants a minimum of one million CNG vehicles on the road by 2027. We at the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria are committed to taking 10 per cent of those cars to be converted by our centre.

“This is a cheaper way to run businesses. Our small businesses are confronted. These are challenging times for small businesses. And we’re not oblivious to that fact.

“But we know that this is a long-lasting way to reduce the cost of running a business. We’re providing infrastructure,” he said.

Odii, emphasising the economic and environmental benefits of adopting CNG, explained that CNG offered a more affordable alternative to traditional fuel.

He noted also that in addition to cost reduction, the initiative creates a new value chain, encompassing gas supply, metering, and conversion while fostering entrepreneurship in Nigeria’s abundant gas sector.

According to the statement, the Chief Executive Officer of Rolling Energy Ltd, Mubarak Danbatta, highlighted the safety and efficiency of the conversion process, noting that it complied with international standards to prevent explosions.

Danbatta said, “You have the high-pressure rails and the cylinders. With the cylinders, we don’t cut corners. So, the narrative of the explosion is not going to happen.

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