Civil society groups and their allies have urged the Nigerian government to facilitate the use of Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, as an alternative to fossil fuel to ease the current hardship in the aftermath of high cost of petrol.
At a National dialogue on Fuel subsidy removal, participants also proffered other short and long term solutions to the economic crisis brought about by the recent government policy.
On May 29th, President Bola Tinubu picked a battle many of his predecessors fought and lost in the past 3 decades.
His inaugural speech put paid to years of government subsidy on petrol.
High cost of goods and services followed as Nigerians groaned under new economic realities.
It is in finding lasting solutions to the hardships brought about by the high cost of petrol that USAID and Paladium have facilitated this roundtable among civil society groups, representatives of government and the private sector.
The civil society community including persons with disabilities and other participants say compressed natural gas remains a viable alternative to petrol
For the keynote Speaker, channeling the funds from subsidy removal to meaningful infrastructural growth is vital.
Michael Uzoigwe, an expert in the Oil and Gas sector, says achieving transparency and accountability in the entire value chain is most critical
Rapid infrastructural development and provision of reasonable palliatives that will truly cushion effects of the subsidy removal are some of the recommendations put forward at the end of the roundtable.
The communique is expected to come handy for the authorities as they continue to address people’s concern regarding the fuel subsidy removal.
