Egypt’s Natural Gas Vehicles Company (Cargas) is exploring entry into the Nigerian market as Cairo seeks to expand the presence of its petroleum-sector companies across Africa and transfer its experience in converting vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG).
A Cargas delegation visited Nigeria to explore opportunities to support the country’s efforts to expand CNG use in transportation and participate in national projects aimed at developing the sector, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said.
The visit was carried out under directives from Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi to strengthen regional and international cooperation and open new opportunities for Egyptian petroleum companies in African markets.
During the visit, Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo met with the Cargas delegation and Egypt’s Ambassador to Nigeria Mohamed Fouad to discuss cooperation in natural gas applications, particularly the use of CNG in transportation.
Ekpo said Nigeria was keen to deepen cooperation with Egypt and benefit from its experience in developing the CNG sector.
He noted that achieving the ambitious objectives of Nigeria’s Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PI-CNG) would require strong partnerships and the exchange of technical and operational expertise.
Furthermore, the Nigerian minister highlighted Egypt’s experience in converting vehicles to natural gas and welcomed efforts by the Egyptian government and Cargas to support Nigeria’s market with the expertise and technologies needed to develop the sector.
The Cargas delegation held a series of meetings with Nigerian government agencies and institutions overseeing the gas, energy and transport sectors, including officials from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the PI-CNG initiative.
The delegation further met the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Talks focused on potential cooperation in developing CNG infrastructure, establishing vehicle conversion stations and centres, localising the production of components, training technical personnel and expanding the use of natural gas in Nigeria’s transport sector.
The initiative also comes as African countries seek to expand the use of natural gas in transportation as part of efforts to reduce fuel costs, strengthen energy security and develop domestic energy value chains.
