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No room for monopoly in CNG sector, says Fed Govt

 The Federal Government yesterday said it will not allow cabal or monopoly in its execution of the energy transition initiative with the adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG) in powering vehicles in the country.

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Domestic Affairs, Toyin Subair gave this hint while speaking in Abuja at the commissioning of a CNG conversion and training centre at the National Institute of Transport Technology (NITT).

Subair said: "With the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGI), there is no monopoly that is going to be created. There are no special suppliers, there are not going to be special companies. All the players from every part of the country will be treated equally.

"We are not going to focus on one part of the country and ignore other parts. This is everybody's product and everybody's initiative to achieve.

"There is no cabal that will be involved in this. We are opening the economy and this part of it to everybody in the country.

"We have direct instruction. If you are able to set up a conversion centre, we will work with you. If you are able to import kits, we will work with you. If you are able to do training for people we will start working with you.

"We are bringing all the banks and private equity companies together to let the see what the sector is and let everybody come in.

"There is going to be a level playing field. And that is the assurance of the President on this initiative and we pray to God that it is going to be extremely successful."

Subair, who expressed disgust that the country had wasted its resources on the importation of refined petroleum products from foreign countries, said CNG remained the best way to reduce transportation cost in the country.

He spoke about the many benefits of CNG, adding that not only is it cost effective, the country can power every vehicle with it at one-third of the current cost.

Subair expressed delight that many people are optimistic about the success of the transition project.

The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali said CNG is not only cheap and available in high quantity in Nigeria, it has many uses.

Alkali, who was represented by the Acting Director Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, Ministry of Transportation, Mrs. Cynthia Akhideno Isimeme also spoke about the many benefits of CNG, which he said include reduction in noise and air pollution, among others.

The Director-General and Chief Executive (DG/CE) of the NITT Dr. Bayero Salih Farah said the newly commissioned centre "is open to all categories of vehicles."

Farah urged vehicle owners in Abuja and its environs to take advantage of the cheap energy that CNG provides.