The Presidential Committee on Compressed Natural Gas (PICNG) held its inaugural meeting on Thursday, October 12.
This is according to an October 13 statement signed by Kimchi Apollo, the Deputy Director of Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee for the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas strongly focused on devising effective strategies to promptly set in motion the directives outlined in the Presidential mandate regarding the CNG Initiative.
To provide some context, on August 18, 2023, Nairametrics, reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took a significant step by establishing the Committee.
This move was driven by his commitment to mitigating the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians by promoting and developing gas as an alternative fuel.
The Nairametrics report earlier cited highlighted the primary objective of the CNG initiative, which is to revolutionize the transportation landscape across Nigeria.
This ambitious initiative specifically targets the introduction of over 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and the facilitation of 55,000 CNG conversion kits for the existing vehicles reliant on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Beyond just transforming the way Nigerians fuel their vehicles, this initiative is anticipated to have broader positive impacts on the nation.
It seeks to stimulate local manufacturing and assembly of conversion kits, consequently generating employment opportunities for the people of Nigeria.
In essence, the Committee’s meeting is instrumental in addressing the imperative strategies and actions required to bring the CNG Initiative to fruition.
By adopting compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel, the aim is to not only ease the burden of fuel subsidy removal but also trigger a positive cascade effect, encouraging local manufacturing, job creation, and a more sustainable future for transportation in the country.
Committee members
According to the NMDPRA statement, the members of the committee who met on October 12, include:
- Mr. Zacch Adedeji, the acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), leads the committee.
- Mrs Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser to the President on Energy
- Engr. Farouk Ahmed, the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)
- Dr. Armstrong Takang, Managing Director of Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI)
- Mr Olalekan Ogunleye, the Executive Vice President of gas, Power, and New Energy at NNPC Limited
- Mr. Toyin Subair Senior Special Assistant to the President (Domestic)
- Mrs. Denike Laoye, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Finance).