In response to Malaysia's plan to phase out compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, Nigeria’s presidency clarified key differences in the two countries' approaches to CNG. Malaysia announced that CNG-powered vehicles would no longer be registered or used from July 2025, citing safety concerns over liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) modifications, which have led to accidents. Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke highlighted issues with some vehicles using LPG cylinders, which are hazardous.
Special Adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, commented that Malaysia’s case mainly concerns LPG, not CNG. He emphasized that Nigeria’s CNG transition is limited to CNG alone, excluding LPG due to safety and cost considerations. Onanuga also noted that Malaysia’s CNG adoption rate was minimal, covering less than 0.2% of vehicles in 15 years, making their program less successful compared to countries like India and China. He contrasted this with Nigeria’s plan, highlighting Nigeria’s efforts to develop tank manufacturing to support CNG infrastructure within its first year.