The Federal Government on Nigeria has announced the sale of gas to cars through selected filling stations across the country will commence by the end of September.

The Government tasks the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) to ensure the effective implementation and take off of the initiative. The Committee was inaugurated in January 2020 by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to promote the domestic gas expansion programme of the Federal Government.

The Federal Government had earlier reportedly ordered Chief Executive Officers and their lieutenants in agencies under the petroleum ministry to convert all their official vehicles to run on auto-gas.

The auto-gas to be dispensed in automobiles include Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Compressed Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas.

Excerpts from one of the documents from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources:

“Consequently, plans have reached advanced stage in line with ministerial directive and support for the development of LPG, CNG and LNG collocation in NNPC owned and operated mega stations in the 36 states and the FCT.”

“Under this arrangement, retail outlets will offer a full complement of gas products as transportation fuels in addition to existing white products as cheaper cleaner and more environmentally friendly alternatives.”

“The NNPC and mega retail outlets owners and equipment providers are fully onboard in this objective and measures are in place to achieve a roll out of this programme by end of September 2020 using select NNPC owned outlets as pilots.”

The Minister of State for Petroleum is also said to be leading by example as all his vehicles have been submitted for conversion from petrol to gas. He has repeatedly tagged 2020 as “the year of gas.”

He said, “I have surrendered my vehicles to the NGEP (National Gas Expansion Programme) to convert all to dual fuel with use of either auto-LPG or auto-CNG.

“And on that premise, I now have the moral backing to direct that all CEOs and their able lieutenants do same by converting all their official vehicles to run on auto-gas as a demonstration to the Nigerian people that indeed government meant it when we declared this year ‘The Year of Gas.’”

The Technical Adviser on Gas Business and Policy Implementation to the Minister, also the Programme Manager, Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, and Programme Manager, Autogas, NGEP, Justice Derefaka, said the Committee is engaging stakeholders such as large fleet owners, the Nigerian Governors Forum, local government associations, conversion companies and dispensing facility owners, to collaborate in the conversion and establishment of refuelling facilities across the country.

He said, “Also, in order to bridge the gas facility deficit, companies engaged in virtual gas movement have been mobilised in the bid to ensure the development of a virtual gas grid that can serve the emerging domestic gas market.

“Several of these companies have expressed ability and preparedness to meet the October 1st roll out timeline.”

Nigeria is the latest African country welcoming dual-engines and use of gas by cars. Last month, the government of Egypt announced it is promoting the dualization of car engines to have more cars to also run on natural gas and gasoline. To this end, the government plans on tripling the number of filling stations in the country 190 to 556 by the end of 2020.