Nigeria Bets on Natural Gas to Curb Soaring Transport Costs – Africa.com
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to scrap gasoline subsidies after his election last year sent transport costs soaring, triggering the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. In response, the government launched a compressed natural gas (CNG) program to tap into the country’s abundant natural gas reserves, which it promised would reduce transportation costs by nearly 50%. The program, which plans to retrofit 1 million vehicles over the next three years, has received at least $200 million in investment. However, it faces many obstacles, including slow implementation, limited infrastructure, and public skepticism. For example, only 13 out of 36 states have CNG conversion and refueling stations, highlighting the lack of infrastructure. Because of these challenges, the program has modified only 100,000 vehicles to date. While the government continues to promote the benefits of CNG, it also acknowledges the challenges and says it is working to address them.
source: AP News
