Gbenga Saka

On Tuesday Sept 10th, I visited the NIPCO CNG conversion center along Airport Road in Abuja to inquire about the possibility of converting my car to CNG. To my amazement, I saw many commercial vehicles refilling their cylinders attached to the trunks of their vehicles, which prompted me to engage some of the drivers. One driver who really explained the benefits of CNG to me was a Bolt driver. He mentioned that he refills his cylinder for about 3k, which lasts him a maximum of two days. He also stated that he makes between 40 to 50k daily from his work. However, I was disappointed when he said that he still charges his passengers as if he were using PMS. He mentioned this with so much pride, as if he did nothing wrong. I noticed many Golfs and Toyota Corollas on the line to refill as well. It’s also worth noting that the conversion for commercial vehicles is free, courtesy of the federal government, while the cost for private vehicles depends on the engine capacity. If you have a four-cylinder engine, conversion costs about 750k, while a six-cylinder conversion is nearly a million naira (900k+). This explains why commercial vehicle owners aren’t really complaining about the hike in PMS price as much as private car owners—they have already rigged the system.

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