The Nigerian Presidency has assured citizens of the safety of newly introduced Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, countering concerns sparked by Malaysia’s decision to phase out CNG-powered vehicles by 2025.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, addressed these concerns in a post on X, stating that Nigeria’s adoption of CNG vehicles is backed by safety and cost considerations.
Onanuga’s remarks came after Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, announced the decision to cease registering and operating CNG vehicles in Malaysia from July 1, 2025, citing the risks posed by aging natural gas tanks.
According to Loke, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and modified LPG tanks, which degrade after 15 years, present safety risks if not replaced.
“The Malaysian issue relates to the safety of LPG, NOT CNG,” Onanuga clarified, explaining that Nigeria’s program exclusively utilizes CNG due to its lower risk profile. He added, “Nigeria, in its transition, has adopted CNG ONLY, not both, due to valid safety and cost concerns regarding LPG.”
Onanuga noted that Malaysia’s challenges with CNG adoption, including a low conversion rate of 0.2% over 15 years, stemmed from limited tank replacement infrastructure, an issue Nigeria is proactively addressing.
In contrast to Malaysia’s experience, Onanuga highlighted successful CNG programs in India, China, Iran, and Egypt as models Nigeria aims to follow.
He emphasized that Nigeria is investing in domestic tank manufacturing to support the safe and sustainable rollout of CNG-powered vehicles.
