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Nigeria Eyes Natural Gas, Electric Power as Alternatives for Cars
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
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((PLAYBOOK SLUG: NIGERIA PETROL ALTERNATIVES (TV/R)
HEADLINE: Nigeria Eyes Natural Gas, Electric Power as Alternatives for Cars
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 07/19/2023 at 11:30am
BYLINE: Timothy Obiezu
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Abuja, Nigeria
VIDEOGRAPHER: Timothy Obiezu
VIDEO EDITOR: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
ASSIGNING EDITOR: Daniel Schearf
SCRIPT EDITORS: DLJ, MAS
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO _x_
TRT: 2:57
VID APPROVED BY: pcd
TYPE: TVR
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Petroleum fuel consumption has dropped by nearly a third in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, since President Bola Tinubu in May scrapped an expensive fuel subsidy. Authorities are looking to promote alternative fuels, including converting engines to run on compressed natural gas and expanding electric vehicle charging stations. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, Nigeria.]]
((NARRATOR))
Nigerian contractor Friday Awodi runs his fossil-fuel powered generator at least eight hours a day to mold blocks for construction.
Awodi says since opening his business a year ago, the government has stopped paying fuel subsidies and his energy bills have tripled.
((Friday Awodi, Construction Contractor))((English))
"We had the intention to shut down the business completely because we knew that we were going to work and not make any profit. It's unproductive, so we started to look for an alternative."
((NARRATOR))
So Awodi converted his generator to run on liquified petroleum gas and his energy cost has dropped to one-third of what it was before.
((Friday Awodi, Contractor))((English))
"I realized that the generator runs more efficiently, smoother and that also means that it will allow the system to perform with optimal performance."
((NARRATOR))
Nigeria was spending hundreds of millions of dollars a month on subsidies to keep fuel affordable at pumps.
Government officials say the money saved by ending the program will be used for crucial projects.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s petroleum regularly authority says that in June, daily petrol consumption fell by 28 percent.
Natural gas is not the only alternative gaining popularity among Nigerians.
((Timothy Obiezu, For VOA News (standup version))
“This is Nigeria's first assembled electric car. When fully charged, it can cover a distance of around 500 kilometers.”
((NARRATOR))
Authorities unveiled the electric car in 2021 and say they plan to expand access to production and use.
[[FOR RADIO: Jelani Aliyu is the director general of the National Automotive Design and Development council.]]
((Jelani Aliyu, National Automotive Design and Development Council))((English))
"We believe Nigeria is right and solutions are available to really take advantage of. So, the removal of subsidy will actually open up doors and opportunities for these alternative forms of energy."
((NARRATOR))
But Nigerian inventor Regnault Umaru Bamiji says access to charging stations could pose a challenge.
Bamiji created an electric car that recharges itself while in motion and says he's talking to authorities about adopting the prototype.
((Regnault Umaru Bamiji, Nigerian Inventor))((English))
"You know in Africa particularly the power supply is not there, so even when they build charging stations, where's the power to supply the charging stations? But with this system, globally we have solved the problem of electric vehicles."
((NARRATOR))
Earlier in July, President Tinubu announced a handout of $10 a month to poor households to cushion the rising cost of food and transportation.
But until there's something more sustainable, many like Awodi are getting inventive to try to get by.
((Timothy Obiezu for VOA News, Abuja, Nigeria))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
