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PETROAN urges Rivers to develop CNG programme to cut transport costs, attract investment – EnviroNews
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The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has called on the Rivers State Government to urgently develop a comprehensive Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) programme aimed at reducing transportation costs, attracting investment and maximising the state’s abundant gas resources.
The National President of PETROAN, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, made the call while speaking with journalists in Lagos during an inspection of CNG refuelling facilities.
Gillis-Harry urged the Rivers State Government to study the emerging CNG model in Lagos State and adopt aspects that could be replicated or improved to suit the peculiar needs of Rivers.
According to him, Rivers has a strategic advantage, given its status as one of Nigeria’s major oil and gas-producing states, its industrial base and its strategic location.
He said the state must move beyond the production of oil and gas to developing a robust domestic gas economy that would translate its natural resources into tangible economic benefits for residents.
“Rivers State has the resources, the industrial base and the strategic position to become a major CNG and gas-based transportation hub. We should not continue to produce gas without fully taking advantage of it to improve the lives of our people,” he said.
PETROAN said wider adoption of CNG in Rivers could significantly reduce operating and transportation costs for commercial transport operators, particularly buses, taxis and other high-mileage vehicles.
The association also identified potential benefits including increased investment, job creation, support for local businesses, improved energy security and the availability of a comparatively lower-emission alternative to petrol- and diesel-powered transportation.
PETROAN Proposes Rivers CNG Conversion Programme
To accelerate the transition, PETROAN called for the establishment of a Rivers State CNG Conversion and Transportation Programme.
The proposed initiative, according to the association, should provide for the establishment of CNG conversion centres along major transportation corridors, incentives to reduce the cost of vehicle conversion and partnerships between the state government, private investors and gas companies to expand CNG refuelling infrastructure.
PETROAN also recommended the integration of CNG-powered buses into the state’s public transportation system, alongside the gradual adoption of CNG-powered vehicles by government ministries, departments and agencies.
It further proposed a stakeholder framework involving the Rivers State Government, gas producers, petroleum marketers, transport operators, vehicle conversion companies, financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders.
The association stressed that access to affordable financing would be critical to enabling commercial transport operators to convert their vehicles from petrol and diesel to CNG.
CNG Opportunity for Petroleum Marketers
PETROAN emphasised that expanding CNG infrastructure should complement rather than undermine the downstream petroleum sector.
The association said petroleum marketers could play a significant role in Nigeria’s emerging gas economy by investing in CNG infrastructure and converting existing filling stations into multi-energy outlets offering petrol, diesel, CNG and other approved energy products.
Gillis-Harry said petroleum marketers should be positioned to participate actively in Nigeria’s transition towards a more diversified energy market.
Rivers Can Build on Lagos Experience
PETROAN commended the Lagos State Government for demonstrating how a subnational government can promote CNG adoption through infrastructure development, vehicle conversion initiatives and public transportation programmes.
However, the association cautioned that Rivers should not simply replicate the Lagos model.
Instead, it urged the state to develop a CNG strategy tailored to its oil and gas resources, industrial capacity, transportation needs and broader economic opportunities.
PETROAN also encouraged the Rivers State Government to collaborate with the Federal Government’s Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV), as well as other relevant stakeholders, to accelerate the development of CNG infrastructure.
From Oil-Producing State to Gas-Utilising State
The association said Rivers has an opportunity to emerge as a national leader in gas utilisation and gas-based transportation.
It therefore urged the state government to develop a practical and sustainable CNG roadmap capable of lowering transportation costs, attracting investment, creating employment and ensuring that a greater proportion of the state’s gas resources are utilised within its domestic economy.
PETROAN said it was ready to collaborate with the Rivers State Government, the Federal Government, gas producers, petroleum marketers, transport operators, investors and other stakeholders to drive the initiative.
The association called on the Rivers State Government to seize the opportunity to position the state as one of Nigeria’s leading hubs for CNG development and gas-based transportation.
