National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has warned motorists to desist from patronising roadside Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion centres.

The Director-General, NADDC, Oluwemimo Osanipin, warned at the ninth Nigeria Auto Journalists Association, (NAJA) yearly training/workshop held, yesterday, in Lagos.

The training/workshop had the theme: ‘CNG/LPG/EV Initiative: Challenges, Sustainability, Opportunities, Alternative to Fossil Fuels in Nigeria.’

Osanipin was represented at the event by Assistant Director, Press and Protocol, NADDC, Ikechukwu Okoha.

He said the council would ensure the workshop had the standard equipment and certified personnel before accreditation of any centre, stressing that the accreditation was important to NADDC because they were concerned with the technical aspect of the conversion to ensure safety.

He added that the council was working with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) to make CNG safe for vehicles.

“The role of the FRSC is to ensure that converted vehicles that do not have the conversion certificate are stopped from plying the road,” he said.

Also, to ensure skills development and international best practices in the automotive sector of the country, NADDC has conceived the establishment of Automotive Training Centres (ATCs) across the six geo-political zones, aimed at redefining the nation’s automotive industry, job provision and improvement in skills among technicians.

According to him, a total of 21 ATCs are being built by the council. Many of the projects have been completed and are currently being equipped by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

He said the ATCs would also serve as CNG conversion centres when operational.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Universal Automotive Training Academy, Dr Benedict John Okoh, in his remarks, the transportation sector plays a pivotal role in the development of any economy; therefore when it becomes too expensive to move from one point to another, it will directly affect the cost of goods and services.

Okoh said CNG, a cleaner-burning fuel, offers a viable alternative to the increasing cost of petrol.