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At the beginning of this week, reports quoted the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu as warning Nigerians that “Either embrace gas or continue to drink oil at more than 1000 naira per litre.”
Ever since Tinubu’s administration announced the withdrawal of fuel subsidies, on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have been suffering from increased fuel prices that have increased by more than 800 naira from the original price.
A liter of fuel is currently being sold for between 1,000 and 1,300 naira at petrol stations in the country, something that has forced many citizens to keep their vehicles.
The Nigerian government and other experts are calling on the citizens to return to the use of CNG gas, which they say is more affordable and non-polluting.
However, despite the fact that the price of CNG gas is cheap where one SCM measure is sold for 230 naira, some issues seem to make the people of the country reluctant to embrace the use of the gas.
Are there any reasons?
Aminu Tijjani Auwal, an expert in the gas industry in Nigeria, told the BBC that the reasons:
Four reasons that scare people
- The cost of converting cars to gas guzzlers
One of the main reasons that keep people from turning in their cars is that the conversion is very expensive.
Some information found by the BBC shows that the conversion of a car that uses CNG gas is between 750,000 and 1,000,000 naira.
There is no doubt that this is not a small amount, especially in this environment of high cost of living and economic pressure.
- Insufficient supply of gas
Another thing that makes people more afraid of the system is the lack of places to drink the gas.
Data shows that all the size of Abuja, the capital of the country – which is at the top of the traffic areas – there are five CNG gas stations, not to mention in other states of the country.
Therefore, if a person wants to drink gas, then he has to follow a long line that may spend many hours in line like the one used to drink gas.
- The fear that the pot is exploding
Some information and videos that are circulating on social media claim that the cars that are being modified are exploding.
This is one of the things that increase the fear in the hearts of motorists that while they are walking, the pot explodes and the car catches fire.
One of the reasons why people continue to use the issue is the lack of awareness campaign from the authorities responsible for doing so.
Many people do not know about the simplicity of the business, as explained by the experts.
Is CNG a problem?
The expert said that CNG gas does not have any major problems that can be avoided in its use.
According to the videos circulating on social media of the explosion of the woman who was converted to CNG, the expert said that the proper tools were not used.
The expert said that the best tools were used to restore the car using CNG, so there is no doubt that there is no problem with that, as Aminu Tijjani Auwal explained.
What is the difference between LPG and CNG gas?
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LPG is the gas that is used to fill the gas pot for cooking, while CNG is the gas that is used for vehicles that has been filtered and reduced the ability to catch fire.
Aminu Tijjani Auwal, an expert on the gas industry in Nigeria told the BBC that another difference between these fuels is that the CNG boiler does not take heat unlike the LPG boiler.
“Now if you put CNG in your car and start driving, if you wait until you see dew on it,” he said.
The expert added that LPG gas is flammable, “however if it comes into contact with fire, it can catch fire”.
In terms of weight, the expert said that CNG is not as heavy as LPG.
Also in terms of affordability, LPG gas is more expensive than CNG, as explained by the expert.
“Now, LPG is sold for 1,400 to 1,500 naira per kilogram, while CNG is sold for 230 to 250 naira per kilogram,” he said.
The methods to be followed in satisfying the public
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The expert said that what should be done for people to be satisfied with the use of CNG is awareness.
“It is good for the government to develop awareness strategies, so that people can understand its benefits and ease of use,” he said.
The government has developed more places to return the cars, the expert said that one thing that makes people afraid is that there are not many places to change the cars.
He also said that it is good to increase the number of gas stations that will provide fuel so that people can see the availability of CNG gas.
“The problem now is that if you want to drink CNG in your car, you have to spend many hours waiting, then this definitely reduces people’s desire to return their cars to use CNG.
The expert said that the Nigerian government had previously announced that the oil company NNPCL would start selling the gas, but this has not been seen yet.
