The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), under the leadership of Engineer Michael Oluwagbemi, has announced an extensive series of pre-launch activities leading up to the program’s Nationwide Deployment Plan on May 29, 2024.
The initiative, which aims to promote sustainable energy solutions and reduce carbon emissions, is set to engage stakeholders, showcase critical gas supply projects, and facilitate the necessary conversion and refueling infrastructure across Nigeria.
On May 15, the Southwest-1 Stakeholder Event took place in Lagos, covering Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states.
To be followed by a virtual commissioning of critical gas supply projects by NNPCL spanning from May 15 to 22.
The engagement will continue on May 17 with the South-South & South-East Stakeholder Event in Port Harcourt, incorporating Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Abia, and Anambra states.
The next day, May 18, marks the launch of a South-South Affiliate Conversion & Refueling Center at the Femadec Site in Port Harcourt, along with an inspection tour of Total Energies Support Mother Station for Auto CNG in Uyo.
On May 22, a combined engagement session for North Central-II and Southwest II will be held in Ilorin, encompassing Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, and Kwara states. From May 24 to 31, there will be an inspection tour of the Kojo Factory at the Enugu-Onitsha Site.
During this period, cylinders and kits for the launch event will be received, along with the first set of assembled tricycles and buses from Kojo, Mikano, and Jets companies.
The culmination of these pre-launch activities is scheduled for May 29, with a press conference in Abuja to announce the launch of the Conversion Incentive Program. This will be accompanied by the commissioning of the Ilorin Refueling and Conversion Center by the Chairman of the Governors Forum. The following day, May 30, will see the commissioning of the Luojia Assembly Plant for CNG tricycles on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
These activities are crucial milestones for PCNGI as it advances towards energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and economic prosperity in Nigeria. The initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision to drive the country’s energy transition in the transportation sector using CNG, thereby enabling economic growth.
Engineer Oluwagbemi noted that President Tinubu has directed the PCNGI to ensure the conversion of at least 10 percent of the total number of vehicles in the country within the first year of the rollout. This ambitious goal highlights the administration’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting a cleaner, greener future for Nigeria.