The Independent Petroleum Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has proposed the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative energy source in Nigeria.
The National President of IPMAN, Mr Chinedu Okorokwo, stated that CNG is the cleanest burning fuel operating today with less vehicle maintenance and longer engine life.
Okoronkwo said that bringing CNG as an alternative energy would create relief for the government and its citizens.
He described CNG as a gas mainly composed of methane and produces less emission.
According to IPMAN Boss, CNG was cheaper than even firewood, making it a more cost-effective option for Nigerians. By using CNG, Nigerians can cushion the effect of subsidy removal and reduce their dependence on petrol.
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He said:
“We have also discovered that bringing an alternative that is cheaper than even firewood which is CNG, will not only create relief for the government and its citizens but it is environmentally friendly.
“The CNG is abundantly available in Nigeria than anywhere in Africa.
“In the Niger Delta region, you see billions of tonnes of gas flare being wasted daily, these are huge amounts that should be accruing to our GDP, but we are wasting it because there is no market for it.
“So, we are asking the government to create the market. How do you create the market?
“What Egypt and India did was to give soft loans to be paid back within stipulated periods; from there, you can get vehicles to use gas instead of fuel.
“There’s a franchise for the bottling of CNG so that an average woman in the kitchen can use it.”
He added that the introduction of CNG would cushion the effect occasioned by the high price of fuel currently as a litre of CNG would not cost more than one hundred and thirty naira.
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He advised that repairing the local refineries as well would reduce the impact of the fuel subsidy removal by President Bola Tinubu on May 29 as it would eliminate the cost of importation and exportation.
Tinubu had said the payment of subsidy for fuel had ended because there was no provision for it in the 2023 budget beyond June 30.
