Pi-CNG Urges Nigerians To Embrace CNG To Reduce Transport Costs
The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) has called on Nigerians to embrace Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel to help reduce transportation costs and ease the financial burden caused by rising petrol prices.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the initiative, Ismaeel Ahmed, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled Leading to Make a Difference, authored by Steve Elaigwu Ogwuche.
Ahmed, who was represented at the event by Andrew Abu, the initiative’s Coordinator for North-Central, South-East and South-South, said the removal of fuel subsidy had significantly increased transportation costs and placed additional pressure on Nigerians.
He said the Federal Government was promoting CNG as part of efforts to cushion the impact of rising transport costs, particularly for low-income Nigerians.
“Everybody is feeling the pinch when it comes to the cost of fuel today,” Ahmed said, stressing that the government was working to reduce transportation costs through alternative energy sources.
According to him, CNG offers a cheaper, cleaner and more affordable alternative to petrol and other fossil fuels, while also helping vehicle owners reduce their expenditure on fuel.
Ahmed acknowledged that Nigeria had yet to achieve its desired level of CNG adoption but noted that considerable progress had been recorded over the past three years.
He disclosed that Nigeria currently had about 12 million vehicles, with approximately 120,000 vehicles safely converted under the government’s conversion programme, while more than 200,000 vehicles were already operating on CNG.
He assured Nigerians that the government would continue to develop the infrastructure required to support the growing number of CNG-powered vehicles across the country.
“We will continue to do our best to provide the infrastructure needed to service the vehicles being converted, and I urge every Nigerian to key into this alternative,” he said.
The Pi-CNG boss added that beneficiaries of the conversion programme had reported significant reductions in their fuel expenses, demonstrating the potential of CNG to lower transportation costs for motorists.
Ahmed also commended Ogwuche for documenting the contributions of Nigerians who had positively impacted society, urging the country to recognise and celebrate living heroes.
He said the event provided an opportunity to acknowledge the author’s efforts and encourage him to remain committed to his work.
Ahmed described Ogwuche as a determined and persistent individual, noting that the support he had received for the book project reflected the confidence people had in his vision.
