In a recent interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr Babachir Lawal, expressed skepticism about the viability of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles in Nigeria. Lawal argued that without the necessary infrastructure, the federal government’s directive to convert petrol and diesel-powered vehicles and generators to CNG could be disastrous.
“The government needs to put in place necessary infrastructure that will lubricate the effectiveness of the CNG vehicles, or else it will be catastrophic,” Lawal stated emphatically.
President Bola Tinubu has directed various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to commence the conversion to CNG as part of his strategy to ensure energy security, enhance utility, and reduce high fuel costs. This initiative was highlighted in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. The government also plans to unveil CNG-powered buses for public use on May 29, 2024, marking the administration’s one-year anniversary.
However, Lawal questioned the sustainability of this initiative, suggesting it might be an avenue for mismanagement of resources by governors and other officials.
“They will display for who? Last time they gave money to the governors to buy buses, they call it palliatives, isn’t it? I’ve seen one bus in my state, in Adamawa. I’ve seen one bus plying my Mubi-Yola. I took note of the number. I saw one, I’ve not seen any other one. Sometimes, we go to provide solutions that don’t make sense,” he remarked.
Lawal stressed the importance of having widespread gas stations across the country to support CNG vehicles. Without these stations, he argued, the initiative would fail.
“The infrastructure must be on the ground,” Lawal insisted. “If I go buy a car or convert my car to CNG, and maybe run out of gas on my way, what do I do? Park the car and come back to Abuja with the cylinder on my head? So, there must be filling stations along the road.”
In his interview, Lawal recounted a conversation with a minister about the high cost of diesel for tractors. The minister suggested converting the tractors to CNG, but Lawal questioned the practicality of this advice, given the lack of available CNG refilling stations.
“I spent about 75 litres of diesel on my farm. And that’s a lot of money. Yesterday I bought two drums of diesel which were 50 litres. I bought it for N700,000, and it lasts for one week if I’m lucky. When I complained, he said ‘convert your tractors to CNG’. I’m an engineer, then I asked, where in Adamawa will I get the gas? Or where am I going to get it if I’m going to Abuja and run out of gas?” Lawal recounted.
He criticized the government for not prioritizing the necessary infrastructure, stating, “Typical government. They talk, they talk grammar, and they leave out the implementation which should have seen the filling stations first. Let’s see the filling stations first. Let them be all over the place.”
Lawal concluded by pointing out that even vehicles that currently use gas, like some Dangote trucks, face logistical challenges due to the lack of refilling stations.
“The argument is that it is cheaper and more efficient… I’ve seen some vehicles that use gas, the Dangote trucks, they carry hefty cylinders, and even if it runs out of gas in Mubi, he ran to Yola. At least that’s how they do their own,” he added.
Lawal’s comments highlight the critical need for a robust infrastructure framework to support the government’s CNG vehicle initiative, emphasizing that without it, the program is likely to encounter significant challenges.