Transport Institute boss hails initiative, urges Customs duty reduction
Nigerian in dire need of a cheaper source of energy may soon heave a sigh of relief, as the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) has concluded arrangements to roll out Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engines on May 29, 2024.
President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIoTA), Segun Obayendo, has thrown his weight behind the Presidential declaration that all government offices should procure CNG vehicles.
PCNGI Programme Director/Chief Executive, Michael Oluwagbemi, made this known, yesterday, in Abuja.
In a statement, Oluwagbemi explained that the initiative was part of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions and carbon emissions reduction.
He promised that there would be a series of activities leading to the Nationwide Deployment Plan launch of the programme on May 29.
The CEO said: “These activities mark significant milestones in our journey towards achieving energy efficiency, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity for Nigeria. PCNGI is committed to fostering collaboration with all stakeholders as we pave the way for a cleaner, greener future.
“These programmes are a fulfilment of President Tinubu’s promise to drive Nigeria’s energy transition in the transportation sector, leveraging CNG and enabling economic growth.
“PCNGI is embarking on an extensive pre-launch itinerary aimed at engaging stakeholders, showcasing critical gas supply projects and facilitating the conversion and refuelling infrastructure across the nation.
Different activities have been lined up in different states of the federation for the launch. Lagos in the South West set the ball rolling yesterday.
AT a stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos, hosted by the Presidential Initiative on CNG, Obayendo emphasised the need for a 70 per cent reduction in Customs duty on imported CNG vehicles to drive acceptability and saturation in the country.
According to him, as long as CNG vehicles were competing with diesel and petrol vehicles in terms of Customs duty, Nigerians would remain reluctant to adopt the new technology.
He also highlighted the potential for converting existing petrol engines to CNG, assuring that “CIoTA is fully behind the initiative” and ready to provide the necessary skills to convert diesel and petrol engines to CNG-compliant ones.
