In the wake of fuel subsidy removal which has led to hike in price, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said it is ready to roll out cheap fuel for Nigerians.
The association’s chairman, Chinedu Okoronkwo, said the body would soon start to roll out Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel, at N100 per litre.
He said IPMAN is almost ready with its plan to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on Nigerians with CNG from the end of June.
Okoronkwo stated this during an interview on Channels Television and stressed that CNG would serve as an alternative to petrol.
The IPMAN boss explained that CNG would help reduce Nigeria’s energy consumption cost.
He said: “Very soon, we will roll out. We are 90 per cent close to that, which will also unveil many possibilities.”
Okoronkwo stated that the petrol subsidy removal had reduced the speed with which Nigeria would have gotten another energy alternative.
“IPMAN has brought relief to a lot of families. We have used our natural energy, CNG, to power vehicles, generators, and even cooking,” Okoronkwo said.
The alternative fuel is expected to reduce the country’s exposure to fuel imports as natural gas would be imported instead.
According to him, the adoption of CNG-powered cars has started gaining speed nationwide due to increased awareness about their efficiency and affordability, compared to ordinary petrol and diesel.
The IPMAN chairman said if the government accepts its plans, it will act as an assistant, bring relief and create job opportunities.
He said that IPMAN needs to create a market because the demand is already there.
He added that the association had gotten a lot of buy-in from companies overseas.
He revealed that Nigerians are already using liquefied petroleum gas to power their generators, stating that the LPG is about N700 per kg, but CNG will be under N100 to N110 per litre.
He said: “When you check what the impact will be, it will reduce the cost of food because people coming from the hinterlands bring food to the cities. From Kano, it takes them about N1.2 million to fuel trucks with diesel, but with this CNG, it will cost them about N150,000 to N200,000. About a million naira is saved, which will translate to cheaper food and open up a lot of other businesses.
“It will provide cheaper energy to drive the processing zones like the agro-based industries, where the gas will also create a lot of impacts.
“CNG does not replace PMS, but it is a choice. We are talking of something that will help your purse and not deepen it.”
CNG would be a game changer for Nigerians as it will be the best palliative instead of sharing money.
