Omolara Obileye: Oiling The Wheel of Nigeria’s CNG Aspirations

By Keem Abdul

Like a little tinder that simmers steadily before it eventually bursts into flames, the global conversation around energy transition from fossil fuels (which scientists and climate activists insist is wreaking untold havoc on the ozone layer, and in the process causing potentially damaging climate change and rising temperature levels) to renewable energy sources, is gradually gaining traction around the globe – and not just in the industrialized economies, but also in developing ones such as Nigeria.

It is instructive – and indeed heartwarming – to note the seriousness with which Nigeria, in particular, has taken the matter of energy transition, especially in the one and a half years since the advent of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Heartwarming, yes, but not entirely surprising; apart from being one of the world’s major producers of crude oil, Nigeria is also a repository of gas, a potentially game-changing source of renewable energy, in considerable quantities. Indeed, as someone recently put it, Nigeria is not an oil-producing country having some gas; she is a gas-producing country having some oil!

It is only natural, then, that in a bid to exploit her gas assets to the fullest (as against past practice whereby gas was mostly flared away like some expendable commodity or as collateral damage during the process of refining petroleum) Nigeria should, as a first step towards achieving its energy-transition objectives in line with the Tinubu administration’s overall economic goals as well as with the global quest for net-zero emission targets in the nearest possible future, embrace the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), with its first focus on mass transit and commercial transport operators, as these are key to the government’s target of reducing transportation costs.

This is why the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), which was launched by Asiwaju Tinubu last year, is so timely. A noble policy initiative even at the best of times, the PCNGI is actually one of the major components of the palliative interventions of the administration, aimed at mitigating the unprecedented hardships occasioned by last year’s abolition of the fuel subsidy regime and the currency floatation policy that followed it. Since last year, CNG has seen a marked increase in use in public transport systems across Nigeria. Many urban buses and taxis have since transitioned to CNG, both to reduce carbon emissions associated with fossil fuels, and to minimize operating costs. This shift has provided commuters with a more sustainable transportation option.

But the transition envisaged by the PCNGI is by no means a new idea; it is actually the culmination of an old national dream. Nigeria’s on-and-off romance with CNG actually started with a pilot project in Benin City, the Edo State capital, back in 2010, as pioneered by NIPCO Gas Limited (a subsidiary of NIPCO Plc, which is an oil and gas servicing company and currently one of the federal government’s partners in its current efforts). It will be recalled that even further back, in 1997 to be precise, the FG had proposed the use of CNG as an automotive fuel as part of its bid to fully harness the potentials and possibilities of natural gas.

These possibilities and advantages, compared to petrol-powered vehicles, are enormous and surprisingly easily to actualize. CNG vehicles, for example, mostly outperform petrol-powered vehicles by offering superior mileage. The combustion properties of CNG enable better fuel economy in vehicles, so that they are able to drive more miles per ounce of fuel.

This transition, however, is plagued by a pair of disadvantages – both of which the PCNGI is now confronting head-on. One is the cost of conversion of vehicle fuel tanks and mechanisms from petrol to CNG – in the face of the tough economic realities facing ordinary Nigerians (including motorists and transporters) today. The other is the number of times a CNG vehicle has to refuel when embarking on long journeys, due to the relatively lower energy capacity of CNG mechanisms. At the last count, conversion costs vary from N1.3m at some points – especially in major cities such as Lagos and Abuja – to N1.7m in others.

But in a move that clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Tinubu administration to achieve greater CNG penetration in Nigeria, and its desire to ameliorate the sufferings of ordinary Nigerians, the PCNGI has, in the last few months, commenced the nationwide distribution of CNG conversion kits for free, or at heavily discounted costs (for commercial vehicles, ride-hailing outfits like Uber and Bolt, etc, and privately-owned vehicles, respectively) to facilitate the transition of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to CNG usage. To support this implementation, the FG has so far signed agreements with over 120 certified conversion centres and other partners across a number of states, with more on the way in coming weeks and months, to ensure the availability of said kits to beneficiaries.

The PCNGI is also driving efforts to enable the local manufacture of said conversion kits, which are currently being imported.

Though the policy direction and the overarching vision that necessitated the establishment of the PCNGI is embodied in the Steering Committee led by Mr. Zacch Adedeji, and the Programme Management Team led by its Director, Mr. Micheal Oluwagbemi, it is the PCNGI’s Coordinator of Business Development and Strategy, Ms. Omolara Obileye, who is responsible for the body’s ability to navigate the daily nitty-gritty of its mandate, and to engage with its target market, in an effective and timely manner.

An experienced business development leader, Ms. Obileye (or Lara, as she is fondly called by her friends, colleagues and associates) brings to her current role over two decades of proven experience and outstanding success in client relationship cultivation, sales optimization, and effective team leadership. Skilled in strategic planning, operational streamlining, and innovative sales strategies, Obileye, a graduate of Economics from the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has gained industry-wide recognition for her prowess in negotiation, and for her ability to deliver positive outcomes even in the most demanding of environments. Over the years, especially in her previous roles prior to joining the Presidential CNG Initiative, she has showcased critical competencies in business development, strategic planning, leadership, operations streamlining, sales optimization, negotiations, and result-driven focus.

Highlights of Lara Obileye’s eventful career include her ability to expand distribution networks and market penetration during her time at MRS Oil Nigeria Plc (one of her previous employers) as well as her leading role in achieving significant sales growth and expanding retail presence at another employer, Ardova Plc. She was responsible for, among other duties, developing new business opportunities; developing strategic plans; building partnerships and implementing initiatives to increase market share, revenues and profitability; fostering customer engagement; optimizing retail operations and creating innovative strategies to drive sustainable business growth in the retail sector.

Over the years, Ms. Obileye has racked up an enviable record of accomplishments. Among others, she has successfully identified and secured strategic partnerships with key retailers; developed and implemented innovative retail marketing strategies, resulting in a marked increase in footfalls and sales across outlets; led teams in executing successful retail expansion projects which have resulted in the launching of new locations and capturing new markets (which have, in turn, led to more rapid business growth and profitability, not to mention greater overall visibility in the oil and gas sector; implemented data-driven analytics and market research (thereby accurately identifying customer preferences) and thereby enabling targeted product offerings and personalized marketing campaigns; as well as enabled the application of streamlined retail operations and optimised processes which have resulted in improved operational efficiency, cost savings and enhanced inventory management.

It is often said that, more often than not, the reward for good work is MORE work. Blessed with such an interesting, even eclectic, range of competencies, Ms. Omolara Obileye is widely expected (and not without cause, in view of her outstanding resume) to replicate and perhaps even surpass, in her role at the PCNGI, the outcomes she’d been able to deliver so consistently over the years.

• Keem Abdul, publisher and writer, hails from Lagos. He can be reached via +2348038795377 or Akeemabdul2023@gmail.com