Dearth Of Facilities, Apathy Impede CNG Adoption

Almost two years after the federal government initiated moves for Nigerian motorists to adopt Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative to petrol, it is yet to receive nationwide patronage.

In his inauguration address on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the age-long subsidy on petrol also known as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), saying the subsidy regime was no longer sustainable.

He announced palliative measures, which included the adoption of CNG and the setting up of centres to enable Nigerians to convert their vehicles to the new energy source, described as cheaper and economical.

Thereafter, the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGi) was established to provide a cheaper and cleaner fuel alternative for Nigerians.

It was also meant to reduce the cost of transportation costs and promote a clean environment.

The government promised to set up CNG conversion, distribution and refuelling centres across the states of the federation.

But two years after, most states of the federation, especially in the North, are yet to have a single conversion and refuelling centres.

In the same manner, vehicle owners, except in Edo, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Madalla in Niger State, and Lagos, where both the conversion and filling stations operate and queues have emerged, apathy has continued to trail the project in other states across the country.

LEADERSHIP Sunday discovered that motorists in Kano State have not embraced CNG because there are no filling stations throughout the state.

When our correspondent visited the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), a CNG conversion centre commissioned in October 2024 by the federal government showed zero activities of vehicles switching over to CNG.

The coordinator of the centre, Engr Abdullahi Abdulsalam, said only a few residents had inquired about it. He attributed non-interest of the public to the high cost of conversion which stands at N1.2 million, depending on the nature of the automobile.

The managing director of a private CNG conversation centre, Safe Autogas Ltd in Hotoro, Muhammad Saifuddeen, confirmed the non-availability of refuelling centres in Kano. He said his outfit was only into the training of potential users.

Motorists using CNG in Ilorin, Kwara State, said they spent an average of one hour on the queue to fill their vehicles because there is only one centre in the state.

The motorists said they buy CNG at N380 per standard cubic metre (SCM).

A motorist, Abduwaheed Oba, told LEADERSHIP Sunday at the CNG station on Murtala Mohammed Road, Ilorin, that the gas had brought relief to them.

He said, “It’s affordable and more profitable compared to petrol. The only challenge we are facing now is the non-availability of more stations. Sometimes we spend up to an hour on the queue. This is the only one we know for now. If the government can create more stations, it will be good.”

An attendant at the CNG station said, “The demand is high, it’s what people want. In fact, sometimes we dispense a whole truck in a day. We are planning to open more stations in Ilorin to ease the queue.”

 

Motorists Cite Safety Concerns, High Switchover Costs

The Borno State government and residents have not embraced CNG. Some residents expressed the fear that the CNG gas cylinders cannot withstand the high temperatures witnessed in the state.

One of the residents, Elder Ibrahim Mshelizza, said from all available facts, CNG is good, but not in Borno’s weather because the state is always hot, adding that “there is no proof that the cylinders of the gas that will be used for the CNG can withstand the weather. As a result, it will be unnecessary to ride such cars in this part of the country.”

Gbenga Akingbule, another resident, said he wouldn’t take the risk of riding a car that might be caught up in flames while on the road because of the CNG conversation and the consequences of Borno’s excessive heat.

In Nasarawa State, there is only one CNG station operated by Greenville Energy Limited in Azuba on the outskirts of Lafia, the state capital.

The sales representative, Mr Christopher Samuel, said the patronage was very low “probably because we are just starting and many Nigerians have not embraced the transition from petrol to CNG.”

A private car owner, Mathew Usman, told our correspondent that the cost of conversion from petrol to CNG was too high and had been preventing them from switching over.

He said when he went to Abuja for conversion, the station asked for over N1 million for his Peugeot 406. “Where will I get that kind of money from in this hard time?” he queried.

 

However, it was learnt that to encourage more people to embrace the transition, the state government is bankrolling the conversion for commercial vehicle operators.

Our correspondent also stumbled on a conversion centre at Dauda Muhammadu filling station operated by Greenray Technology with four Saron buses on the queue for conversion. The technician, Mr Sam David, said the state government provided the kits and other tools required for the transition.

In Kaduna State, some motorists and Keke NAPEP riders who embraced CNG due to high cost of petrol said the product is cost-effective and affordable.

A Keke NAPEP rider, Willians Gambo, who plies Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway, said he fills his CNG cylinder at N2,500 or less depending on the amount he has.

According to him, “I filled my gas at Greenville CNG Kakau, located along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway. The gas is economical and cheaper compared to petrol but there is queue. The challenge people are facing is how to get funds and buy the CNG Keke NAPEP because it is expensive.”

Another Keke NAPEP rider, Francis Oche, said sometimes he spent less than 40 minutes to fill his Keke. “CNG is a good concept but the government and private sector should establish more filling stations across the country to serve motorists,” he added.

A car dealer on Kachia Road, Kakuri, Joe Agada, explained why many motorists do not want to change their vehicles to CNG.

He said, “Many motorists don’t want CNG because according to them it is risky to be using gas inside a vehicle under Nigeria’s hot weather. When a vehicle using CNG is involved in an accident it is always fatal because of the gas.”

A commercial bus driver, Sani Idris said he converted his bus to CNG and has been using it without challenges.

He said, “Since my Oga (boss) converted this bus to CNG, I don’t have problems driving it. I am making more money than when I was using petrol. The gas is not expensive like fuel.”

Although the minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, has launched a CNG plant in Akwa Ibom State, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that work is still in progress.

There is, however, no functioning CNG centre in the state.

The executive director of the Network Advancement Programme for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAPPDRR), a civil society organisation (CSO) involved in the campaign against environmental pollution in Niger Delta, Hon. Emem Edoho, told our correspondent that “work on the plant was ongoing at Ukwa Isi Edoho community in Esit Eket LGA.”

On their part, the Imo State government has yet to commence the conversion of vehicles to CNG. This was made known by the commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Declan Emelumba, when he interacted with LEADERSHIP Sunday.

He, however, revealed that about 60 automobile technicians had been trained for the take-off.

In Zamfara State, there are no CNG stations in operation and the residents have not adopted the scheme.

 

Queues Stretch As FCT, Lagos, Edo Top CNG Users

Motorists in the FCT are facing gruelling hours at CNG filling stations as its demand surges amid inadequate infrastructure.

Commercial vehicle drivers and private owners in Abuja lamented the delays at the few CNG stations in the nation’s capital.

A motorist, Ibrahim Jamilu, said, “Most times, I wake up at 4am and go to three different stations. Sometimes, I won’t find CNG and still resort to petrol.”

Jamilu said despite the government’s claim of 50 percent vehicle conversion, only a fraction of drivers in his park uses CNG due to its scarcity and long waiting time.

He described the situation as unfortunate, stressing that, “People sleep here just to get gas, wasting man-hours instead of doing something meaningful.”

Despite the delays, many drivers said CNG is cheaper than petrol.

A civil servant at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, Ahmed Hassan, noted that while he previously spent N35,000 weekly on petrol, he now spends N6,600 on CNG for the same period, a massive 81 percent reduction.

Similarly, Moses Ibeh, who operates a Toyota Coaster bus, said his weekly fuel expenses dropped from N90,000 to N47,000 after switching to CNG.

He further said that however, the frequency of refills adds to the burden of CNG car users.

An Uber driver, Philip Japhet, explained that a single 75kg CNG cylinder lasts only two days, forcing him to queue frequently.

“The cost of CNG per standard cubic meter (scm) in the FCT is around N230 and this makes the product a better alternative to petrol. Some stations also sell CNG at N213 per scm,” he said.

The Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGi) had reported that 56 retail outlets currently dispense CNG nationwide, with plans to expand to 150 by year-end.

Yet, this remains grossly insufficient for the rising demand, as Michael Olutu, P-CNGi’s operator at Kubwa, admitted that the initiative is private sector-driven, requiring more investment to scale up stations.

He said that despite the FCT having 10 CNG stations on Airport Road, Kubwa, Gaduwa, Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Zone 1, Dei-Dei, Duste-Bwari Road and Gwagwalada, they are not enough to meet the demands of motorists.

A CNG station attendant at NIPCO in Gosa along Abuja’s Airport Road revealed that they serve hundreds of vehicles daily, with queues stretching for hours due to limited dispensing points.

He said that the refuelling process itself takes 5 to 10 minutes per vehicle, but the sheer volume of motorists creates bottlenecks.

 

It’s Cost-effective, Say Lagos Residents

At the Mobil Filling Station in Agidingbi, Lagos with about 16 vehicles on the queue, motorists patiently wait for their turn, which takes an average of about eight minutes or more for refilling their CNG cylinders depending on the tank size.

An attendant who doesn’t want his name in print, said, “On Mondays, the queues are longer because we don’t work on Sundays. On the average, we have about 500 to 600 vehicles filling their tanks daily.”

He said this number swells due to the number of vehicles that come around twice or thrice in a day, especially commercial motorists.

It was gathered that the average time on the queue might be an hour depending on the time of the day.

On the number of CNG stations he is aware of, the attendant said, “There are more than four that operate though there are others in places such as Ajah and Magboro outside of Lagos metropolis.

A commercial motorist, Teju Àlàbí, said, “I come once a day as I operate a commercial vehicle on the Mainland. My gas cylinder tank is 15 litres and that’s why I come every day and I don’t spend more than N3,000 which is very fair compared to what I will spend on PMS,” he stated.

A civil servant who identified himself as Adebowale said he fills his vehicle twice or thrice a week with N3,500 per visit as it only takes 85km before he refills it.

While the commercial and private motorists spoke glowingly on the cost efficiency of the CNG, they appealed to the government to make the CNG readily available to reduce the queues which sometimes takes one or two hours before they can get access to the stations.

Benin Users Face Product Scarcity

 

Motorists using CNG in Benin City, the Edo State capital and other parts of the state have continued to experience hardship trying to cope with the scarcity of the product for over two weeks.

 

It was observed that one of the stations on Second East Circular by Virginia Junction had a long queue of motorists waiting to buy the product.

 

A commercial bus driver, popularly known as “Tuke Tuke,” Mr Tony Osunde, said he had been on the queue for over an hour.

 

He said he often buys CNG twice daily at the rate of N230 per scm and called on the government to ensure the availability of the product.

 

A staff of one of the CNG centres on Second East Circular, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there are five stations in the state, adding that the scarcity was due to the high patronage coupled with the low supply of the product.