Dangote To Convert 6,000 Diesel-Powered Trucks To CNG, As FG Trains 5,000 CNG Technicians
- President Bola Tinubu's plans to transition Nigeria from fuel to CNG have received a major boost from Africa's richest man
- The Dangote group has concluded plans to increase the number of CNG trucks in its operations
- This move is being copied by other companies, and there are projections of about 250,000 conversions before the end of the year
Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has over a decade of experience in business reporting across digital and mainstream media.
Dangote Group has made plans to convert another 6,000 diesel-powered trucks to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
This is in addition to the earlier 4,000 trucks already converted. The Dangote Group is doing this in keeping with the federal government's plan.
This update was shared by the Coordinator of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative Programme, Michael Oluwagbemi, in a recent video on the PCNGI’s X handle.
Source: Getty Images
He noted that this brings it up to 10,000 trucks the Dangote group has converted to CNG, and added that others like the BUA group are also following suit.
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Why Dangote Group converted 10,000 trucks
Justifying the conversion, Oluwagbemi explained in a video posted on the PCNGi X handle that it is a good way to save cost.
He did a breakdown to show how N9,000 of Compressed natural gas can cover the same distance covered with N55,000 worth of fuel.
He explained:
"You are saving a bunch, and when it comes to servicing the vehicle, you don't go to the mechanic as much as before because you are using a cleaner fuel."
On a larger scale, this could save corporate organisations billions of naira in fuel costs, especially as energy costs are still on the rise.
FG set to achieve 250,000 conversions in 2025
Engineer Oluwagbemi noted that with all the conversions, the Presidential CNG initiative group is confident of achieving between 150,000 to 250,000 conversions before the end of 2025.
He explained that the conversions would help the individuals and companies save massively on their fuel costs, the PUNCH reports.
Oluwagbemi stated that Nigerians have been very receptive to the CNG gospel, contributing to the success of the programme.
He added that as an intervention-facilitating organization, the PCNGi is collaborating with other agencies, including the Nigerian Automotive Development Council, to ensure that conversion workshops abide to the safety standards.
He said;
“We work very closely with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to ensure that kits and cylinders coming into the country meet all the minimum standards. We’ve gone on inspections globally as well as domestically with manufacturing plants to ensure that they align with SON standards. And SON has worked very closely with us on the safety issue.”
He commended the Nigerian Mainstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for working hand in hand with the group to make the registration and licensing of stations easier.
5,000 technicians trained to support CNG drive
In furtherance of the presidential drive to transition Nigeria from fossil fuel to compressed natural gas, the PCNGi has also collaborated with the Ministries of Transportation and Technology to train and build the required capacity.
Engineer Oluwagbemi revealed that over 5,000 technicians have been trained since 2024 and are now equipped with the skills to provide CNG vehicle users with maintenance services.
Lagos state is also in on the plan and has announced plans to convert 400,000 vehicles in 4 years.
Source: Getty Images
FG rolls out CNG buses
Legit.ng reported that the federal government rolled out several CNG buses in a bid to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
This was expected to help curb the hike in transportation fares and ease financial pressures on Nigerians.
FG set to launch 175 new CNG stations
In related news, the federal government is set to launch 175 new CNG filling stations nationwide.
Legit.ng reported that the initiative involved partnerships with the private sector and aimed to improve gas delivery, especially to northern regions.
The government is also working to attract more investments, create jobs, and promote cleaner, cheaper energy solutions nationwide.
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Source: Legit.ng
