KEY POINTS
- Motorists in Minna protest after the NNPC mega station reportedly goes three months without CNG.
- Drivers say they spent over ₦1 million converting vehicles but cannot access the cheaper fuel.
- Protesters demand urgent repairs and warn of a larger demonstration if supplies do not resume.
Motorists in Minna, the Niger State capital, have staged a peaceful protest over the prolonged unavailability of compressed natural gas (CNG) at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) mega station along the Western Bypass.
The drivers said the station had been unable to supply the fuel for about three months, leaving vehicle owners who converted their engines from petrol to CNG struggling to keep their vehicles running affordably.
The conversion was intended to help motorists reduce fuel expenses by switching from premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to the less expensive alternative.
However, the continued shortage has left many of them relying on petrol despite the money they invested in converting their vehicles.
The protesters gathered at the NNPC facility to draw attention to the situation and demand an explanation from the station’s management.
Faulty Equipment Blamed for Supply Disruption
Findings by Vanguard indicated that a component of the station’s CNG dispensing equipment had developed a fault and had not been repaired, leaving motorists in Minna without a reliable local supply.
The disruption has reportedly forced affected drivers to return to petrol, increasing their operating costs and undermining the expected financial benefits of switching to CNG.
Engr. Israel Ogbonnaya, one of the protesting motorists, said drivers had repeatedly visited the station to seek answers but had received no satisfactory explanation.
He expressed frustration that the facility had remained out of operation for months, leaving vehicle owners unable to recover the cost of converting their engines.
Ogbonnaya also questioned the lack of communication from the station’s management, saying the protesters wanted the authorities and Nigerians generally to understand the difficulties facing CNG users in Minna.
He argued that the disruption had undermined the objectives of the government’s CNG initiative, which is intended to provide motorists with a more affordable fuel option.
Drivers Count Losses After Costly Conversions
Another protester, Mohammed Doko Saidu, said he had spent more than ₦1 million converting his vehicle to use CNG but had been unable to obtain the fuel in Minna.
He said motorists had repeatedly hoped that the station would resume operations, only for the shortage to persist.
Saidu described the situation as frustrating, noting that some vehicle owners had resorted to disconnecting installed gas cylinders because they could not access CNG.
The protesters said the lack of supply had left them paying for petrol after making substantial investments based on the expectation that CNG would be readily available.
For commercial drivers and other motorists who depend on their vehicles for income, the disruption could mean higher running costs and reduced earnings.
The situation also raises concerns about the availability and reliability of refuelling infrastructure for drivers who have already converted their vehicles to alternative fuel.
Protesters Warn of Larger Demonstration
The demonstration was peaceful, but the motorists called on the NNPC station’s management and other relevant stakeholders to repair the faulty equipment and restore CNG supplies as soon as possible.
They warned that failure to address the problem could lead to another protest involving a larger number of aggrieved motorists, including commercial tricycle operators who use CNG.
The drivers are seeking a clear explanation for the prolonged shutdown, alongside a timeline for restoring operations.
The manager of the NNPC mega station could not be reached for comment at the time of publication. Station attendants declined to speak on behalf of the management.
Niger Transport Ministry Distances Itself From Protest
The Niger State Ministry of Transport said the protest was directed at the NNPC facility rather than the ministry.
The ministry’s director, Alhaji Muhammad Abdullah, told Vanguard on Sunday that the ministry’s own CNG initiative had not yet commenced and that preparations were still ongoing.
His comments indicated that the protesters’ immediate concerns centred on the operation of the NNPC station and the lack of an alternative source of CNG within the state capital.
The motorists’ complaints highlight the importance of ensuring that refuelling facilities remain operational as more drivers invest in converting their vehicles to use alternative fuels.
Until the faulty equipment is repaired and supply resumes, affected motorists in Minna face continued uncertainty over fuel costs and whether their investments in CNG conversion will deliver the savings they expected.
