The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially inaugurated a pilot conversion center in the Federal Capital Territory, dedicated to converting vehicles to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

The government believes that this center will play a pivotal role in advancing the CNG initiative, ultimately helping to alleviate the impact of petrol subsidy removal by cutting transportation expenses.

This announcement came through a statement issued by Olujimi Oyetomi, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Transportation.

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The Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, highlighted the importance of transitioning to a more environmentally friendly energy source like CNG to reshape the transportation sector.

He stressed that greenhouse gas emissions not only pose health hazards but also have severe environmental consequences.

Nigeria, as a signatory to greenhouse gas emission reduction policies, needs to take measures to reduce carbon emissions in the environment.

Alkali, represented by Akhidenor Cynthia, Acting Director of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, emphasized, “The adoption of a more environmentally friendly energy source like CNG, which the country has in abundance, will reposition the transportation sector in urban cities across the country and put Nigeria in tandem with what the world desires at this time.”

Dr. Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy, encouraged Nigerians to view the vehicle conversion to CNG as a symbol of a fresh start.

She also underlined that the CNG initiative aims not only at converting vehicles but also at creating employment opportunities and working toward a sustainable future driven by an affordable and clean energy source.

Michael Oluwagbemi, the CEO of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative Steering Committee, described the adoption of CNG as a significant move toward diversifying the transportation sector away from fuel dependency in favor of natural gas.

He emphasized that the CNG center would pave the way for a more ecologically sustainable and economically prosperous future in Nigeria.

The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative Steering Committee disclosed that seven CNG conversion centers have been established throughout the country.

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Oluwagbemi expressed, “Today, as we officially open the Abuja Conversion Centre, we go beyond the inauguration of a facility; we extend a hand to a greener, more sustainable, and affordable future.

We are not just changing how we fuel our vehicles; we are changing lives, one job at a time.”