Presidency Defends CNG As Malaysian Govt Mulls Phase-Out-Plan

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Thursday, November 7th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigerian Presidency has reiterated the safety of its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative amid recent plans of the Malaysia government to phase out natural gas vehicles because of safety issues.

The African Examiner writes that the Malaysian Transport Minister, Loke Siew Fook, had earlier stated that Malaysia will stop registering and using CNG-powered vehicles by July 1, 2025 because of safety concerns.

This development has sparked reactions concerning the safety of Nigeria’s own CNG programme, which is supposed to shift away from petrol and diesel.

However, in a statement on Thursday, November 7, President Bola Tinubu’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga, stated that the situation in Nigeria is different.

According to him, Malaysia’s decision was because the country has issues with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), not CNG, which Nigeria has chosen as the exclusive focus of its green transition.

“NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria in its transition has adopted CNG ONLY, not both, because of LPG’s valid safety and cost concerns,” Onanuga explained.

“Malaysia basically had an unsuccessful transition away from costly and dirtier petrol and diesel. Conversion of 45,000 vehicles in 15 years (less than 0.2%) is not enviable, unlike India, China, Iran, and Egypt,” he said.

He further disclosed that Malaysia’s need to replace expired CNG tanks made it more economical to revert to petrol.