Lagos, Nigeria – May 16, 2024  

Mrs. Titi Oshodi, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, has said that the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi) is a welcome development that will not only address the growing transportation in the region but significantly reduce emissions and create more jobs within the value chain.  

She stated this recently as she joined other stakeholders from Southwest Nigeria to pledge their unwavering support for the CNGi. The P-CNGi, championed by President Bola Tinubu, aims to provide cheap transportation for Nigerians. It is part of the palliative intervention aimed at easing the hardships caused by removing fuel subsidies. With the coalition of the states, once a policy framework is in place, it is easy to plug in and record an abatement tax for innovation and development amongst the member states.  

The Office of Climate Change and Circular Economy (OCCE) is dedicated to mitigating the impacts of climate change on Lagos’s residents, businesses, and government. Our mission is to transform Lagos into the most sustainable city on earth by addressing climate issues and creating economic opportunities. In alignment with this mission, we fully support the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative.  

According to Mrs. Oshodi, the initiative aligns perfectly with OCCE’s Mission 50:50, which seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 50% in Lagos while creating 50,000 new jobs. “This initiative presents an opportunity for existing businesses to invest in mobile refuelling units and conversion workshops, which will foster specialised skills for the communities, thereby increasing the capacity of workstreams. This is in line with the themes and agenda of Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, which is driving all the innovations around rail and road transportation in Lagos.” She said, “We can’t overemphasise the effect of transportation on carbon emissions that threaten our lives today. According to the IEA and the Lagos Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, transportation is one of the three leading sectors responsible for 95% of emissions in Lagos.”.  

“The P-CNGi not only presents the ability to manage our emissions effectively but also presents opportunities for job creation by supporting auto manufacturing, retrofits, and conversions, as well as in the development of critical gas distribution, processing, and production infrastructure and facilities. The initiative, set to roll out compressed natural gas (CNG) engines on May 29, 2024, aims to drive Nigeria’s energy transition in the transportation sector, leveraging CNG for economic growth. As part of the implementation plan, there will be a nationwide deployment plan launch on May 29.