FG’s CNG conversion app promises much but might end up delivering little

The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched its CNG conversion app. Powered by the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI), the government believes that the platform will make the transition from premium motor spirit (PMS) to compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicles easy for Nigerians.

The government said the CNG conversion app, which can be downloaded on both Google Play and Apple Stores, will provide Nigerians with real-time information on conversion centres close to their location. It will also help them book their conversion appointment, get discounts on purchases, and receive updates on fuel prices.

The government also pointed out that ride-hailing is a special focus of this CNG conversion initiative, stating that the program would lead to massive reductions in booking prices on Uber, Bolt and other rideshare companies. This would be made possible by its RideShare CNG Conversion Incentive Programme which would allow ride-hailing drivers to convert their cars at a discount.

“The strategic journey to powering Nigeria’s transportation sector with a clean energy source has begun in earnest and no stone will be left unturned to make its adoption as easy as possible,” the government said.

See also: Nigerian e-hailing drivers are choosing CNG cars over Electric Vehicles and here is why

The CNG conversion app

The CNG conversion app is now downloadable on Google and Apple Play stores. The current version is 1.2.4, and with a size of just 36.6 MB, it is quite easy to download. After download, the app opens into a landing page prompting the user to either sign up (for new users) or to log in for return users.

Users will have to create an account to get started. Creating the account requires personal information like names, email addresses and passwords. The names will be required to be in the exact format they appear on the user’s National Identification Number (NIN). This, however, presents a problem as the NIN carries three names: Surname, First name and middle name, while the CNG conversion app only has provisions for First and Last names.

After a successful registration, the user will be required to log in. Here they will encounter the second problem; email verification. The email verification process appears to have issues because various attempts were met with failure. Across the two days of my tryst, the app failed to send verification links to the email addresses used. This failure was further confirmed by users who lodged their complaints on social media.

From this point, my review of the app was based on other users’ experiences. Through these, we know that the next stage involves NIN verification, with many users complaining that with the absence of the middle name slot on the registration/sign-up page, it becomes almost impossible to verify and match the name on the NIN with the user details on the platform. With the names not matching, users can’t log in.

This presents a major problem with the app and presently, there is no in-app means of reaching the developers.

This reporter called the contact number on the PCNGI website, the customer care representative, one Obinna, said the problems enumerated were due to technical and network issues and that the team is working to fix them. He advised me to just keep trying it even after I told him I had been trying for two days. It seems to me like a case of hoping and praying and many users might be put off by the app failing at such a primary stage.

Why CNG conversion is becoming popular

It is important to note that a major focus of the FG’s CNG conversion initiative is ride-hailing drivers. This is part of a larger scheme to bring cleaner energy to public transportation. This is important as the cost of petrol has continued to rise in Nigeria. This has brought about a massive reduction in the earnings of e-hailing drivers, forcing them to start exploring alternatives for their petrol-powered vehicles

Based on an inquiry carried out by this reporter, there are indications that the drivers are opting for Compressed Natural Gas conversion. According to drivers who spoke with this reporter, the cost of fueling their vehicles has become one of the two elements that affect their earnings the most daily. The other is the cost of maintaining the vehicles.

One driver, Ajibola told this reporter that drivers are willing to undergo the retrofitting and install the cylinders in their vehicles:

“We have already largely bought into the idea of using CNG to power our vehicles given the greater operational time gas gives over the use of petrol and diesel. Also, it is much more affordable when compared to the cost of gasoline. Hence, the only things stopping drivers are the cost of retrofitting and the safety of the cylinder. Nevertheless, these two things won’t deter a majority of the drivers from installing in their cars if it’s within affordable budgets,” he said.

According to a Daily Trust report, this conversion should cost between N300,000 to N600,000 depending on the exchange rate.

Considering the cost of gas and how it affects the e-hailing drivers’ earnings, an energy worker, Ray said a full cylinder contains 16 standard cubic metres (SCM) of compressed natural gas. One standard cubic meter costs N200. Therefore, a full cylinder would cost N3200. He also claimed that one cylinder on a 4 plug engine would give a mileage of over 200km. Comparatively, he claims N10,000 worth of CNG equals N40,000 worth of petrol.

It is also important to note that the Nigerian e-hailing drivers union, the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) also has a CNG conversion plan for its members. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the Sterling Alternative Financing Bank.

Although the union did not state how much the retrofitting would cost, it noted that the repayment plan would be N5,000 every day. It also calculated that the conversion would save drivers 75% on petrol costs.

In its analysis, AUATON claimed that driving on petrol, the average daily fuel cost is N20,000. This would result in a minimum monthly expenditure of N520,000 for an average of 26 days. Driving on CNG cars, however, daily CNG cost would be N5,000. This would make a total of N130,000 monthly. Inclusive of the daily repayments of ₦5,000, the combined monthly expense would be ₦260,000.

This means drivers have saved at least ₦260,000 on fuel alone by the conversion.