The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PCNGI) has commended Nigerians for adapting to the cleaner, safer and cheaper CNG option of powering their automobiles, assuring that it was working hard to increase its footprints nationwide, reports Political Economist NG.

Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG, Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed said at a stakeholder engagement with the media in Lagos, Wednesday, that his office is working to improve on accessibility, affordability and availability of CNG to the extent that Nigerians both in the cities and in the hinterland would standardize on gas in lieu of petrol.

He commended the media for helping to propagate the message and for being a strong ally in the President Bola Tinubu’s avowal to make life easier for the people especially in the transportation sector. He assured Nigerians to trust CNG because it is safer, cheaper and cleaner and therefore the best option to improve health and ward off diseases and sicknesses associated with carbon emission.

Political Economist NG  reports that Ahmed also lauded the likes of Dangote Group and BUA Group among others who have taken the initiative to adapt to CNG for their haulage operations, adding that such gesture will not only save operational costs for them but also help to limit carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

While making a presentation on the journey so far, the CEO of PCNGI, Michael Oluwagbemi, an engineer, said the introduction of the CNG initiative by President Tinubu was a masterstroke that many Nigerians were yet to come to terms with its significance.

He said the removal of petrol subsidy which precipitated the PCNGI by Tinubu was not only a patriotic action but one that has saved the nation from inevitable insolvency. He said as at May 29, 2023 when subsidy was removed, Nigeria had already spent N5 trillion on petrol subsidy in five months, an average of N1 trillion every month. He projected that if subsidy had not been removed, subsidy cost on the nation could have climbed to N12 trillion.

Oluwagbemi regretted that Nigeria being a gas-rich nation with over 208 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves had continued to flare and export gas but import refined petrol. He said such disingenuous economics puts a strain on the nation’s forex reserves.

The CNG culture, he assured, will help mitigate gas flaring as well as help build up Nigeria’s forex reserves.

Political Economist NG reports that the vehicles being used as pilot vehicles are sourced locally from Innoson, Mikano, Nord, among others which also helps to promote ‘Nigeria First’ policy of the federal government.

Political Economist NG recalls that the Federal Government recently reiterated its commitment to institutional performance and staff welfare with the inauguration of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja

This was contained in a statement by the Director, Information and Public Relations of the ministry, Mr Mohammed Manga. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, while inaugurating the buses, announced the reintroduction of essential provisions for the staff.

Edun described the move as part of a broader push to energise the ministry’s workforce and improve operational efficiency. He said that the ministry’s internal strength was vital to delivering Nigeria’s broader economic reform agenda.

“This ministry is the engine room of national transformation and that engine must be well-fuelled,’’ he said.