The Federal Government has said that there are over 9,000 licensed filling stations across Nigeria that are fit for the co-location of facilities that dispense autogas fuel.
This was contained in a communique issued by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology at the end of the stakeholders’ engagement forum on the provision of technical manpower and facility for the development and promotion of autogas as a transportation fuel in Nigeria.
The conference theme was ‘Autogas as an alternative fuel for transportation in Nigeria.’
The forum urged the Federal Government to provide incentives to motorists, especially in the public transport and road freights sub-sectors for the conversion kits acquisition as a way of cushioning fuel subsidy removal.
The communique stated that there was a need for alternative options for transportation fuels such as Liquefied Natural Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, and Compressed Natural Gas known as autogas, which should become widely used and accepted as an alternative automotive fuel.
It noted that Nigeria’s gas reserves were about 209 trillion cubic feet and added that gas production was between 8.15 – 8.35 billion standard cubic feet/day, which was more than enough for the nation.
According to it, Nigeria’s gas reserve was about 209 trillion cubic feet, adding that gas production was between 8.15 – 8.35 billion standard cubic feet/day, which was more than enough for the nation.
The communique also stated that there are 50 conversion centres currently upgrading for mass conversion and training of technicians in the country, adding that auto assemblers are already producing fit-for-purpose dual-fuel vehicles in the country.
It stated that the Nigeria Gas Expansion Programme had held extensive multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement and secured impressive programme support and buy-in.
It added that the government was supporting the deployment of over one million conversion kits for trucks and smaller vehicles.
The communique further stated that the government was supporting the optimal availability of all autogas fuel streams and that the adoption of autogas technology was good for Nigeria in the short and long term.
It recommended that the Federal Ministry of Transportation should collaborate with relevant stakeholders and the private sector for research, development, and deployment of autogas fuel in Nigeria.
