Why commercial drivers should submit vehicles for CNG conversion - FG

• The Federal Government has launched a free Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion program for commercial drivers
• The initiative, led by the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG), includes a 100% discount on CNG conversion for unionized commercial drivers
• Omolara Obileye from Pi-CNG emphasized CNG's safety and noted that more than 12 verified conversion centres are operational in Abuja

FCT, Abuja - To promote cleaner energy and more cost-effective transportation, the Federal Government has called commercial drivers to take advantage of the free Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion program it initiated.

The federal government also disabused the minds of Nigerians about the supposed risks of CNG-converted vehicles, pointing out that they are safe.

CNG conversion process in Abuja Photo credit: Original
Source: Original

FG announces free conversion for commercial drivers

This was even as the Tinubu-led administration announced on Thursday, July 12, a 100% discount on CNG conversion for all unionized commercial drivers, starting with those in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Additionally, ride-share companies such as Bolt and Uber will receive a 50% discount on conversion kits and free installation.

This initiative, led by the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG), began on Friday, July 12, in both the FCT and Lagos State, with plans to expand to other regions soon, as reported by The Sun.

Omolara Obileye, Business Development and Strategist at Pi-CNG spoke during an on-site assessment of the five partnering conversion workshop companies in Abuja.

CNG is totally safe, FG says

She emphasized that CNG is safer for vehicles and even less prone to explosions than petrol.

Obileye highlighted that there are currently more than 12 verified CNG conversion centres in Abuja and 80 nationwide, urging commercial drivers to bring their vehicles to the designated conversion points and participate in the initiative, Leadership reported

She said:

"Today, we've launched the initiative with e-hailing cabs, and the program will be implemented nationwide. "We're beginning in Abuja and Lagos, and we'll continue to provide updates as we expand to each state. Our goal is to convert over a million cars across the country. This is just the beginning of the scheme."For transport owners across the federation, the cost of conversion is 100% free to you."

She added for safety measures, Obileye noted that drivers must undergo training at the conversion centre before leaving.

What is expected of private car owners?

Speaking further, she disclosed that for private individuals, the cost for conversion would depend on the type of vehicle.

She said:

"For private individuals, the conversion cost varies based on the vehicle type. We have 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder, and 8-cylinder vehicles, and the cost depends on the size of the cylinder installed. Prices range from 700,000 to about 1.8 million. All of this is made possible thanks to the president."

FG: We've refueling stations across Nigeria

Speaking about the refuelling stations she said:

"We have refueling stations spread across different states in the federation. Currently, we are rolling out in collaboration with several existing downstream partners and new ones. "We will provide a list of available refueling stations in each state, which will be regularly updated and shared on all our media platforms."

FG speaks on powering 3 million CNG-Powered Vehicles

Legit.ng earlier reported that the federal government had said that every one million cars converted to run on compressed natural gas would save almost $2.5 billion annually.

At the South-South/South-East Stakeholders Engagement Meeting on the Presidential Initiative on CNG, which took place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday, Michael Oluwagbemi, the initiative's programme director, shared more insights about it.

Source: Legit.ng