From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Federal Government has projected that long queues at Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations will become a thing of the past within the next two years.
Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Halilu, gave the assurance on Wednesday at the launch of a new CNG refill, conversion and training centre in Abuja, developed in partnership with Portland Gas Limited.
Halilu said the collaboration, backed by the Presidential Initiative on CNG, would rapidly expand the number of stations nationwide, and ease the pressure on existing outlets.
According to him, “We have a strategic plan, of course, with the support of the Presidential Initiative on CNG to have these queues disappear in the next two years.
“We promised to expand this operation to make life easier for the country. Currently, CNG is about 85% cheaper than the average fuel, which is PMS. And I think these queues is a positive indicator that Nigerians have welcomed and accepted CNG.
“If you remember, a couple of months ago, people were sceptical about safety, about cost savings, but that now is history. And people are queuing up to offtake this gas,” he said.
Also speaking, Portland Gas CEO, Folajimi Mohammed, described the facility as a one-stop hub for gas with a four-tonne approval capacity.
Mohammed added that “Cost of conversion today is free as long as you meet the criteria of being an NURTW (National Union of Road Transport Workers), an RTEN (Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria), a NATO (National Association of Transport Owners) member, or even e-hailing such as Uber and Bolt.”
Representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, committee member,
Alexander Mascot pledged that lawmakers would enact legislation to protect gas users and encouraged private sector players to invest in the CNG value chain.
He also called for more investment in CBG, saying “I also would like to use this opportunity to encourage well-meaning Nigerians in the private sector, currently in the upstream, midstream, downstream petroleum, to consider also investing in CNG.”
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