by Willy Okonji-
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has announced that the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) will slash the railway’s maintenance costs by as much as 60 to 70 percent.
Speaking over the weekend at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NRC and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG) Initiative, Opeifa highlighted the multiple advantages of the partnership.
“This collaboration marks a significant step towards a cleaner, more efficient rail transportation system in Nigeria,” Opeifa said. “Today, we take another critical step towards a sustainable future for our railway industry.”
He explained that the MoU covers a diesel retrofit programme, supply of key CNG materials and equipment, intermodal shuttle services, and retrofit training for diesel engines. The initiative also includes the handover of buses and coaches to make the collaboration cost-effective.
Beyond cost savings, Opeifa underscored the environmental benefits, describing CNG as a cleaner fuel with fewer greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants.
“We strive to further reduce our carbon footprint by converting our locomotives and other diesel-powered equipment to CNG,” he said, adding that the NRC’s training centre at Tejuosho will be transformed into a CNG conversion centre, with CNG conversion incorporated into its curriculum.
On his part, Pi-CNG Programme Director, Mr. Michael Oluwagbemi, stressed that the NRC’s expertise in diesel engineering technology, particularly its Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) systems, will be key to expanding the use of CNG in Nigeria’s haulage sector.
“This will not only reduce the cost of transporting goods and services across our country, including food and energy, but also enhance security and mass transportation,” Oluwagbemi said. “We are expecting an influx of buses, tricycles, and kits from the Ministry of Finance any moment now as we move into Phase Two, where we will scale our impact to 250,000 vehicles from the current 50,000.”
He called the event a historic milestone, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s vision to power Nigeria’s economy and industrialisation with abundant, cheaper gas.
“A Renewed Hope for our citizenry is possible, and Pi-CNG is delivering on the President’s promise,” Oluwagbemi said. He praised Opeifa and the NRC leadership for their shared vision, expressing confidence that this model would inspire public and private sector stakeholders alike.
Also lending her voice, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Dr. Abimbola Akinajo, said LAMATA fully backs the President’s CNG initiative.
“We are excited by the pronouncement of Mr. President because we know that something good is coming for the transport industry,” Akinajo said. “Transportation drives the economy; the sooner we get it right, the better for Nigeria.”
