With the taking off of the Autogas conversion initiative which seeks to convert gasoline vehicles to run on LPG and CNG, automobile experts confirmed Nigerians will be able to save about 40% in fuel costs. The conversion program was announced by the Federal government, through the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva, in January 2020.

During the West Africa Automotive Show held in Lagos last month, Mateusz Koprianiuk, a business developer with Zamel, a Poland-based automobile firm, said Nigerians would be able to save up to 40% of their energy costs from the conversion. “For the last 30 years, we have been converting PMS [premium motor spirit] vehicles to run on CNG and LPG. It’s actually a technology that is existing in Nigeria. It’s been introduced in smaller projects but it wasn’t done correctly and presented to the masses,” he explained.

“Nigeria has massive potential. LPG and CNG conversions are very present in the northern part of Africa, but Nigeria has the biggest potential. It has an abundance of gas to change the economy of the country,” he added.

In addition, Zamel’s Development Manager Wojciech Zawistowski dispelled concerns regarding the safety of using LPG on vehicles. “Even in Poland, there were such concerns when the technology was adopted in the 1990s. People were afraid of using gas but with time the technology became more advanced and we prevent such situations very efficiently,” he said.

CEO 365 Energy Tech Solutions Ltd, Engr. Michael Akanbi, said the Autogas initiative would benefit the economy across the board for the entirety of the value chain; from the mechanic to the e-hailing cab drivers to the ordinary Nigerian drivers.

“There’s a value chain, mechanics are making money out of this. You have the ordinary Uber driver, if you’re supposed to spend N 120,000 [USD 290] a month, you are going to spend N 70,000 [USD 170], which means you’re saving N 50,000 [USD 120]. Another benefit for the common Nigerian is that it takes a longer period for you to service your vehicle. There are multiplier effects,” he commented.

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8 June 2022