The Federal Government has taken steps to stop the use of substandard kits in the conversion of petrol/diesel-powered vehicles to compressed natural gas.

This was aimed at preventing any form of explosion during the CNG refilling process.

On Thursday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, launched the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System, a key step in the Federal Government’s drive to promote safety, accountability, and environmental integrity in the nation’s CNG sector.

Speaking at the pilot launch held at an NNPC Retail Station in Abuja, Ekpo said, “the NGVMS will ensure that only vehicles converted at accredited facilities with certified kits can access CNG at approved stations.”

A statement by the minister’s spokesman, Louis Ibah, quoted him as saying that the system will provide end-to-end oversight, from conversion to refuelling, guaranteeing the safety of citizens and the integrity of Nigeria’s growing CNG ecosystem.

Ekpo described the initiative as a milestone under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Decade of Gas Initiative, aimed at making CNG the affordable and sustainable energy choice for Nigerians.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Initiative on CNG, Ismaeel Ahmed, revealed that over $1bn in private sector investments have flowed into Nigeria’s CNG value chain.

He added that more conversion and refuelling stations will be commissioned nationwide before the year ends.

Leaders of various transport unions in Nigeria, in separate speeches at the event, expressed gratitude to Tinubu for launching the PiCNG to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal in 2023.

They said that, under the initiative, members had benefited from over one million free CNG kits, buses, and tricycles, which has led to significantly reduced transportation costs and subsequently lowered the prices of foodstuffs across the country.

The union leaders urged the government to prioritise commercial vehicles in the CNG project, ensuring that they are given preference.

“Additionally, they appealed for the expansion of CNG stations nationwide, noting that only a few states currently have CNG conversion and refuelling stations. This, they believe, would further enhance the effectiveness of the initiative,” the statement read.