On May 29, 2023, newly elected President Bola Tinubu, in his inaugural address, stated clearly that the hitherto petrol subsidy shouldered by the federal government, was gone.
Though his predecessor, had not made provision for payment of subsidies in the 2023 fiscal budget, President Tinubu’s declaration came as a surprise to many Nigerians because the expectation was that it will tarry for a couple of months before taking effect.
Thereafter, the price of petrol skyrocketed to average N600 depending on the part of the country it is being distributed.
Expectedly, many Nigerians began to look for alternatives, and the federal government made it very clear that the new direction was gas.
As a result, many government establishments and private establishments have been initiating different ventures in this direction.
Greenville LNG has established a Gas Hub in Lafia the State Capital with a prospect for the further establishment of at least 30 daughter stations through Greenville’s franchising of local investors across the State.
The Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), also recently flagged off training programme of youths on Auto Gas conversion of vehicles and generators in Abuja.
Also, President Bola Tinubu recently commissioned the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Kia Portland facility for Kia Hybrid and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicles in Utako, Abuja.
The Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mahashakti Nigeria Ltd, Lagos, to collaborate on the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) kits, mobile refilling units, and the establishment of CNG Conversion Centres in Nigeria.
On the same plain, the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), announced that in a bid to standardise and regulate the conversion of vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in Nigeria, it was initiating a certification process in this regard.
To this end, we call on the NITT and the NADDC to quickly harmonise and quicken the certification process so government agencies will not be working at cross purposes and to guide the private sector players who are already in this area of business.
