A team of engineers from Kano State has praised the government of Ogun State for pioneering the conversion of diesel and petrol engines to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

The team, led by the Director of Transportation, Kano State Ministry of Transport, Engr. Mahmud Musa Seriki was in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on a mission to understudy the conversion process.

It would be recalled that the Ogun State government had embarked on the conversion to eliminate the effect of the recent removal of subsidy on fuel.

The move will reduce the cost of transportation in the state and make living more comfortable.

While inspecting some of the CNG-powered buses, Engr. Seriki said Ogun State was blazing the trail in the conversion to CNG and Kano State which also has the plan to do the same, thought it wise to understudy the process.

Seriki said Kano State has a lot to benefit from the visit to the Gateway State as his team has had first-hand experience and interaction with the experts handling the conversion process, adding that all of these would be useful when Kano wants to commence a similar conversion.

“I am thrilled by what we are seeing here, particularly the likely effect on the reduction of transport fare which the conversion would have on commuters when the vehicles begin to ply the roads.

“We are pleased to have this first hand experience and we will go back to our state to replicate the same with a view to making living more abundant for an average Kano resident,” he said.

Addressing the team earlier, Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Revenue Assurance, Mr. Oluseyi Ogunseye said it made more economic sense to run engines on gas rather than on diesel and petrol as it saves almost 40 percentage of funds that could be used for some other pressing needs while at the same time, provides a greener environment and reduces environmental pollution.

He commended the Kano State Government for sending its team of engineers to understudy the Ogun State model of the CNG conversion, assuring that Ogun State would always be willing to assist and share its varied experiences with any State that makes such a request.

According to him, CNG should be encouraged and supported because it is lighter than air and in case of a leak disperses upward rather than pooling on the ground which would reduce the risk of fire outbreak.

The Director, Vehicle Inspection Services in the Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Olugbenga Ademehin highlighted the core advantages of the CNG over other fueling substances.

He said that it is composed mainly of methane which is a primary component of natural gas.

Also, Mr Millind Dekhole of NGTSL SPIRO, handlers of the conversion process, highlighted its advantages to include eco-friendliness, comparative reduced fuel consumption, non-toxicity which elongates the life span of engines among others.

He said the partnership with the Ogun State Government would facilitate the conversion of large number of vehicles to use CNG fuel, provide CNG kits and provide workspace infrastructure across the three senatorial districts of the State.

The highlight of the visit was a ride in one of the CNG-powered buses to different parts of the city.