One Million Vehicles To Run On Autogas By 2021- FG
The Federal Government, Sunday, said at least one million vehicles across the country, would be converted to run on autogas by the end of 2021.
In a statement in Abuja, Group General Manager/Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Garba Deen Muhammad, said the conversion would be expedited with the official launch of the National Gas Expansion Programme, NGEP, December 1, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister’s aide explained that the rollout is the culmination of the resolve of the Buhari-led government to deepen domestic usage of natural gas in its various forms.
He added that it was also in line with the government’s plan to make gas the first-choice source of cheaper and cleaner energy for Nigerians in their personal and industrial endeavours.
He further stated that at the launch, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, would on behalf of the Federal Government hand over Compressed Natural Gas-powered mass transport buses to the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, as part of the agreement reached with labour during negotiations and in recognition of the role organised labour plays in the quest to bring relief to ordinary Nigerians.
He said: “The Federal Government Autogas program will deliver at least one million vehicle conversions by the end of 2021 and herald the clean energy transition for Nigeria and delivery of cheap transportation fuel.” Muhammad stated that the launch would also herald the formal dispensing of autogas – Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG – products at two Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, retail stations.
Sylva, had a few weeks back, noted that the Federal Government was working to make the cost for the conversion of cars to run on autogas affordable to all Nigerians.
Sylva had also stated that some cars in the president’s fleet would soon be converted to run on autogas, while some government official vehicles were already being converted.
“Sylva noted that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to provide Nigerians with autogas to temper the effects of rising costs of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to ushering in the epoch of gas as a better fuel for Nigerians.
He had expressed satisfaction with the conversion process thus far, and charged conversion centers to make vehicle and user safety a priority during the process.
