The Nigerian Federal Government is actively promoting the use of locally-assembled Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles as part of its strategy to reduce reliance on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and diesel.
This initiative comes in response to the recent removal of fuel subsidies and aims to ease the pressure on the country’s fuel supply system.
To support this transition, the government has allocated N100 billion to facilitate the purchase of 5,500 CNG vehicles, including buses and tricycles, as well as 100 electric buses.
Additionally, it has provided over 20,000 CNG conversion kits and is investing in the development of CNG refilling and electric charging stations.
President Bola Tinubu has endorsed this initiative, encouraging Nigerians to adopt CNG vehicles.
The Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Osanipin, echoed the government’s call, highlighting the affordability and benefits of CNG vehicles.
Osanipin emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting CNG vehicle assemblers and ensuring the success of this initiative during a recent tour of Lanre Shittu’s assembly plant in Lagos.
He said, “My appeal to Nigerians is for all of us to start adopting this initiative and start buying Nigeria-assembled CNG vehicles.
“It will save us from more expenses. Just like we just heard from one of the engineers now, a 60k of CNG will cover more than 300 kilometres, if you compare that to a petrol or diesel-powered vehicle, you will know that CNG is good for Nigerians.
“Just as you can see, there are pickups here which are assembled here as CNGs and right in this facility we have a place where conversions are done, this means we are ready and the assemblers are ready too.”
He further noted that the automobile industry was also ready to move from assembling cars, trucks and buses to the production of car components.
He said, “We are here to look at what they are doing, assess what they are doing to determine how to take it further from where we are now to a greater stage. Some of these things we import can be done here and that is what we want to see happen.
“We want to see some of these things done right here in the factory and the CEO of Lanre Shittu has just told me that their other facility over there, which is under construction is for welding while the painting site will be somewhere in Ogun state. This means that we are moving from SKD to CKD.”
Osanipin highlighted that the government plans to be one of the largest customers for CNG vehicles, following President Tinubu’s directive for all government ministries, departments, and agencies to purchase CNG-powered vehicles.
This move is part of the broader support strategy for vehicle assemblers, demonstrating the government’s commitment to promoting the use of CNG vehicles.
“Our first support is patronage and not just by the government but all Nigerians. We can do it, most of the trucks on our roads now are assembled in Nigeria, so let us all embrace the CNG initiative and replicate what we have done in trucks to buses and cars, let us assemble here and together we can achieve this and a better Nigeria together.”
Also speaking with journalists, Chief Executive Officer of Lanre Shittu Motors, Taiwo Shittu, also commended the CNG initiative, advising Nigerians that it would save them 75 per cent of what they spend on fuel.
He also advised motorists to patronise vehicles assembled in Nigeria considering their after-sales factor.
“A lot of vehicles failed because they didn’t know that the after-sales is important, making parts available is important. I am happy I just showed the DG our parts store which is worth over two billion naira. It is not just about buying a car but putting into consideration how it will be fixed when it develops faults is also very important. Nigerians should not patronise any car that does not have an after-sales plan.”
