Mr. Huub Stokman, Chairman of MOMAN
…Alternative energies will not render fuel stations dead or redundant
…CNG, EVs and natural gas are major elements for alternative energies
-Felix Douglas
When the government removed subsidy from Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol or fuel, the country was caught unawares about the decision which took place exactly the day when President Bola Tinubu took oath of office in May 29, 2023.
The intension is to liberalise and deregulate Nigeria’s petroleum downstream for a free market.
Apparently showing concern about the issue since fuel sells at N700 to N1000 with looming scarcity of the product, BusinessDay and MOMAN (Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria) organised a round table forum to discuss measures in exploring alternative energies as a solution for Nigerians.
Speaking at the one day event, the Chairman of MOMAN, Mr. Huub Stokman reiterated the need to move into CNG, biofuels, electrical vehicles (EVs) and other alternative means.
“Looking at the stations in other countries and if you go to certain retail stations, they have charging sites for EVs that can charge vehicles in 20 minutes and while charging, you can relax.”
Stokman debunked speculation by some people that EVs or hybrid will kill retail stations dispensing fuel.
“It won’t because people are still mobile and they need to move around from one place to the other. They’ll still need to charge their vehicles to move to long distances.
“People who are also living in apartment building can charge their vehicles and it goes in steps, it is an alternative to fuel.”
The MOMAN chairman said it takes a generation to change human behavior. In terms of energy use, Nigeria should ensure the country is mobile to deliver economic growth because it needs energy to grow.
Stokman posited that the future is bright for Nigeria since the country is making penetration in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). He commended the government for its efforts because “Nigeria as a country is sitting on CNG and eight biggest deposit of natural gas in the world.”
“Why not use those minerals deposits for your own economic development and keep the people mobile. Not everything will be there tomorrow. But it will come and it has to start from today” he added.
Expressing her views on exploring alternative energies, Chief Executive Director Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning of Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA), Dr. Zainab Gobir, said Nigeria’s biggest asset is gas.
The government has two major policies; one is Decade of Gas (DoG) and Nigeria Gas Expansion Program (NGEP). All these programs are designed to allow Nigerians adopt and receive the functionalities in the country. To actualize it, implementation team was put together and government is working assiduously so that it comes to fruition. The government is also working to meet up with the rural areas across the country.
The CNG, EVs and natural gas are major elements to use. There is hydrogen and all these bring a lot of contributions with immense opportunities for Nigeria. Tapping into them will bring a lot of employment growth for the country and investments.
Gobir noted that as a regulator, NMDRA will do all it can in terms of policy and guidance to oil and gas industry and support it to explore alternative energies.
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