Nigerians react as NNPC begins CNG sale in Lagos

Some Nigerians have expressed satisfaction over the cost-effectiveness of Compress Natural Gas (CNG) as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) began sales in Lagos State on Thursday.

“Hello Lagos. Switch to Compress Natural Gas (CNG). It’s affordable, safe and sustainable. Visit us at plot 22, Isolo Industrial Area, llasamaja to make the conversion today,” NNPC said on its official X handle on Thursday.

Last August, President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI).

In a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the initiative furthered the president’s commitment to easing the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians by reducing energy costs.

This initiative, according to Mr Ngelale, is poised to revolutionise the transportation landscape in the country, targeting over 11,500 new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-enabled vehicles and 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)-dependent vehicles.

“While simultaneously bolstering in-country manufacturing, local assembly and expansive job creation in line with the presidential directive,” the spokesperson noted at the time.

Last month, the federal government inaugurated a 5.2 million standard cubic feet per day CNG plant in Lagos in an attempt to lessen the impact of the removal of petrol subsidies on Nigerians.

The CNG plant was built through a partnership between NNPC Gas Marketing Limited and Transit Gas Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Axxela.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, who commissioned the plant at the Isolo Industrial Area, Ilasamaja in Lagos, at the time said the event represents a significant milestone in the nation’s journey towards energy security, accessibility, and affordability for Nigerians and is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“As the nation continues to take giant strides in the adoption of CNG as a sustainable alternative to PMS and AGO, we are resolute to bring the benefits of CNG adoption closer to the Nigerian people, and projects like this are major milestones in achieving this objective.

“CNG, as we know, is cheaper, cleaner, more eco-friendly, and safer than traditional liquid fuels and will enhance the nation’s efforts to meet its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) obligations to the Paris climate change agreement,” Mr Ekpo said at the time.

Reaction

Speaking in a short video clip posted on the NNPC official X handle on Thursday, Oluwatosin Ibiwoye, a car owner who patronised the CNG station in Lagos, noted that she now spends N4,100 on CNG from the N28,000 she used to spend on petrol.

“I don’t have to queue for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). I don’t bother my head with whether the PMS price has gone up or gone down or it is not available, it there, it here.

“It’s been peace of mind. From my house Ejigbo to Aja, if there is no traffic I will use one bar, that one bar is about N900. What I used N28,000 PMS to cover, now, I used N4,100 to cover it,” she said.

A taxi driver, Olusola Onisesi, said CNG is more economical compared to diesel and petrol.

“I am from Ijebu Ode, I travelled home, I got CNG here, and travelled to Ijebu Ode to and fro I did not finish it. I also tried it again. I went to Abeokuta with it, to and fro and I did not finish it,” he said.

Testifying to the environmental benefits of CNG, a truck driver, Francis Okonya said CNG is much better because the price is very minimal compared to diesel and petrol. It does not affect anybody.

“I am talking about the smoke stuff coming out of diesel and petrol engines. This does not have a single smoke coming out from the engine.

“That is why it is better. “It is encouraging for everybody to be using it,” he added.