Presidency Defends CNG Initiative as Malaysia Phases Out Gas Vehicles Due to Safety Concerns

The Nigerian Presidency has reaffirmed the safety and viability of its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) program, despite Malaysia’s recent decision to phase out natural gas vehicles over safety issues. Malaysian Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook announced that Malaysia will halt the registration and use of CNG-powered vehicles by July 1, 2025, due to safety concerns, raising questions about Nigeria’s own CNG initiative, which aims to transition from petrol and diesel.

In a statement on Thursday, November 7, President Bola Tinubu’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga, clarified that Nigeria’s program focuses solely on CNG, in contrast to Malaysia’s, which included both CNG and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) — the latter presenting specific safety and cost challenges. “NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria in its transition has adopted CNG ONLY, not both, because of LPG’s valid safety and cost concerns,” Onanuga noted.

Onanuga also highlighted the limited impact of Malaysia’s natural gas vehicle initiative, citing its conversion of just 45,000 vehicles over 15 years — a figure that falls short compared to nations like India, China, Iran, and Egypt. Additionally, Malaysia’s need to replace expired CNG tanks added economic pressure, making a shift back to petrol more feasible.

Conversely, Nigeria has already begun developing domestic tank manufacturing capacity within the first year of its CNG program, which Onanuga emphasized as a step toward a more sustainable, scalable approach.

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