By EMMANUELLA ANOKAM

As more motorists key into Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to run their vehicles, the search for the product has become frustrating in view of inadequate infrastructure by marketers.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who went round the town reports that motorists were seen queuing for endless hours for CNG.

The introduction of CNG is about chasing a cleaner, cheaper and sustainable energy path but Nigerians have raised concerns that rapid expansion of CNG infrastructure should have been envisaged.

Some of the motorists who spoke to NAN blamed the marketers for not putting enough infrastructure in place for dispensing of CNG, while urging the government to mandate them to do so.

One of the motorists Olakunle Ajayi said he was on the queue for six hours before he could buy, adding that he joined the queue around 9 a.m., at the NNPC Zone 1 retail outlet, and was able to get a refill around 3 p.m.

“I don’t know how this problem can be solved but being on the queue for six hours doesn’t make sense to me.

“Imagine if this is a working day, how will I leave my work to come and queue for six hours to buy CNG?

“Something should be done urgently, otherwise, this initiative will be dead before the end of the year,” he said.

Sylvester Abua, another motorist, said he was an adent user of CNG due to its benefits of being a cleaner energy, low combustion rate and affordability, but regretted the current challenge, which was gradually eroding its advantages.

Abua, who complained of some sharp practices being done at some filling stations, believed that constant supply, and enabling environment for more private sectors’ investment and strict regulation from government authorities could ease the pressure.

“The government should help us to get more supply by allowing people that are willing to invest through granting of waivers for more marketers to come on board.

“Sometimes motorists queue for two or three days before they can get the CNG to buy.

“Government should help to build CNG infrastructures, including storage facilities where it can be stored after processing it for use, thereby making it closer to the end users.

“I also want the government to ensure that it set up a mechanism to monitor the sales and prices by the retailers to the end users. This will regulate their activities, excesses and foster guidelines to operate,” he said.

Another motorist, who only gave his name as Ehis, said it was difficult to comprehend that there was an increase in price two weeks ago, yet, the product was still difficult to get.

“Initially, we buy at N230 for One Standard Cubic Metre (SCM) but it was increased to N380 for one SCM; that is additional N150.

“So, why is it still difficult to get that we will have to queue for hours before we could buy.

“I am an uber driver and you don’t expect me to drop the price of picking and dropping off my passengers after suffering to get the product.

“Who will pay me for the lost hours on the queue?,” he asked.

Ehis called on the government and the CNG marketers to use the opportunity of the increase in price to spread infrastructure, so as to ease the suffering of motorists who saw the product as alternative fuel.

Mr Ezekiel Manah, who expressed disappointment over the situation and decried acute scarcity of CNG filling stations, said the aim of converting his car was defeated because of paucity of refilling stations in the FCT and beyond.

NAN also gathered from one of the CNG marketers that petroleum marketers are finding it difficult to invest in the sector due to low profit margin.

According to the marketer, some of them started the business, but immediately they discovered that N230 being charged per Standard Cubic Metre before was not profitable they stopped, because they didn’t want to run at a loss.

However, the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) had emphasised that Nigeria is making progress in expanding the CNG infrastructure and investments across the country, adding that engineering feats takes time.

Mr Michael Oluwagbemi, the Programme Director/Chief Executive Officer, P-CNGI had said that with 100,000 vehicle count, the queues at CNG stations were naturally going to increase, because of such unprecedented increase (a fivefold increase in just one year).

This, he said, was as a result of massive incentive provided by the administration and the breakthrough in awareness due to the economic benefits of the switch.

According to him, government’s resolve and private ambition must meet in partnership to expand filling points far and wide, turning sparse oases into a lush landscape where CNG flows freely in a new era of sustainable motion.

NAN reports that the recent landmark deployment by Dangote Group, featuring 4,000 CNG-powered trucks, 100 virtual pipeline vehicles, and multiple daughter stations, is just one high-profile testament to the Initiative’s impact. (NAN)