In order to ensure safety and standard, the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has concluded arrangements to commence the accreditation and certification of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered Vehicles Conversion Workshops in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Director General of NADDC, Mr. Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, at a Stakeholders Engagement Meeting held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The Director General, who was ably represented by the Director Research, Design and Development of the Council, Dr. Fidelis Achiv said that the meeting was to sensitise the converters on the guidelines for the CNG powered vehicle conversion to ensure best practices are followed in the conversation procedure.
Osanipin stated that the workshop was necessitated by the sensitivity and inflammable nature of gas as a source of energy utilised at both domestic and mobility levels.
“You are all aware that the NADDC as the regulatory agency of the automotive industry is providing and creating an enabling environment for the use of CNG as an alternative and cheaper transportation fuel, and last year His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative as a successor to the National Gas Expansion Programme”, he said.
He concluded by soliciting the support of all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the renewed hope agenda of Mr President on clean and alternative energy consumption for Nigerians is successful, as NADDC will not compromise quality service delivery in any workshop.
“Therefore, Nigeria must leverage on those natural gas resources and transform it to energy that will drive the automotive wheels of Nigeria and over the years, the Council organised sensitisation and awareness campaign on the safety and benefits of using AutoGas (CNG) as an alternative fuel to petrol and diesel” he said.
In his remarks, the programme coordinator, regulatory compliance and facilitator, presidential compressed Natural Gas initiative (PCNGi) Engr. Zayyanu Tambari Yabo echoed the request for stakeholders cooperation to ensure the success of the PCNGi, adding that by 2027, about one million CNG Vehicles would be produced while over three billion naira investments would be realised in the sector.
Major Stakeholders who participated in the meeting were the Federal Ministries of Industry Trade and Investment, Finance & Transport.
While agencies that participated includes Standards Organisation of Nigeria, FRSC, NMDPRA and NITT.
From the Private Sector were representatives from Nord Motors, Context Global, Greenvill LNG, Autobahn Motors, Plantries Energy Group, Innoson Kiara Academy, Vgian etc.
At the end of the workshop, the participants, including those who participated via online applauded NADDC for the initiative to accredit and certify converters to ensure safety and standards in the sector.
