The federal government?s Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi) is targeting the creation of about 100,000 jobs from an estimated one million conversion of vehicles from petrol to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

This was just as the initiative commenced conversion of vehicles into autogas across the country following the distribution of free kits.

The Programme Director of PCNGi, Engr Michael Oluwagbemi, speaking in Abuja, said, ?25,000 technicians need to be enabled across 1,000 conversion centres. We need 2,300 refuelling stations, but we currently have only three. We also need additional LCNG plants across the 14 to 15 core Northern states that cannot immediately get piped natural gas.

?We need mini-LNG plants probably in two or three locations across the country; one in each of the geo-political zones, and we also need over 2,500 vector pipeline trucks. It?s important to know that people will be driving these things and enabling them.

?We are making sure that investment is going to the corridor with the most users because 90 per cent of Nigerians ply three major transit corridors: namely, Lagos to Kano transit corridor, the Calabar to Benin transit corridor and the Lagos to Benin through Lokoja corridor. When we do that, there will be a reduction in the cost of food and transportation.?

It was gathered that In Lagos, commercial drivers trooped to the conversion centres across the state to change their vehicles to CNG.

Daily Trust reports that following the distribution of kits, motorists had been advised to visit various conversion centres to have their vehicles converted free of charge.

At one of the centres visited by our correspondent, Portland Conversion Centre on Ikorodu Road at Ojota, no fewer than 30 vehicles were on ground waiting to be converted.

Speaking with our correspondent, Ayodele Jeleel, a member of NURTW, Mile 12 branch, said he was prompted to bring his vehicle to the centre because the drivers had carried out the conversion and that it was found to be cheaper compared to running on petrol.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Portland Gas Limited, Michelle Ejiofor, said, ?CNG is a cleaner energy.?

The Commercial Operations Manager at P-CNGi, Omoh Imoukhuede, in an interview with our correspondent, reiterated that the CNG programme had come to stay.

In Kaduna, P-CNGi began the conversion of 150 commercial vehicles free of charge.

Our correspondent further reports that the move is aimed at reducing the cost of transportation following the increase in the pump price of petrol.

The Coordinator, Logistics and Supply of P-CNGi, Thomas Ayu, while speaking during the distribution of the kits, said that they would be distributed and installed for free to commercial vehicles in Zaria, at Peugeot Kakuri, Kaduna, and at Royal Energies in Kakau.

Also, the Team Lead for P-CNGi at the National Institute for Transport Technology (NITT) centre, Zaria, Dauda Suleiman, said the beneficiaries included NURTW, National Association of Transport Owners (NARTO) and Association of Taxis.

The Chairman of the Zaria branch of the NURTW, Comrade Lawal Abdullahi, commended the federal government?s initiative.

We?ll reduce transport fares if? ? NURTW

Meanwhile, the NURTW has vowed to reduce transport fares drastically if the ongoing P-CNGi was well-implemented.

The union said that CNG was cheaper compared to petrol which transporters heavily relied on to power their vehicles.

It was gathered that the P-CNGi began inspection of commercial vehicles for CNG conversion in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the exercise, the state?s Chairman of NURTW, Ismail Adewale Yaro, applauded the initiative.

The Director of Vehicle Inspection Services at the state?s Ministry of Transportation, Engr Ademehin Olugboyega, explained that the inspection was meant to ascertain the capacity of each vehicle for the CNG conversion before the process was carried out.

In Oyo State, the initiative commenced the conversion of 150 commercial vehicles.

Fifty conversion kits were handed over to technicians at the conversion centres at NIPCO Filling Station near Toll Gate on the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway; Automation Auto Gas, Podo Industrial Village; and BOVAS Filling Station, Ajibode, on UI Ojoo Road, Ibadan.

The Business Development Executive of P-CNGi, Louisa Afu, who monitored the exercise in Ibadan, said the kits distribution was part of the federal government?s efforts to ease the burden occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy.

A private car owner, Dr Wole Jayeola, who converted his Toyota Corolla two months ago, said using CNG was the best way for Nigerians to overcome the challenge of the high cost of fuel. (Daily Trust)

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