FG Banned Two-Stroke Motorbike Engines, Targets EURO III Fmission Standards

According to the Federal Government (FG) gazette No. 47 of May 17, 2011, �with effect from April 28, 2011, any manufacturer or importer shall not assemble, manufacture or import the following for use in Nigeria: a two-stroke engine, a motor vehicle that does not have installed or an approved emission reduction technology; Motor vehicles with petrol and diesel engines should meet with emission standards specified in the gazette which is equivalent to Euro III.

The gazette also stipulates that as from January 2015, motorbikes with petrol and diesel engines coming into the country should meet with emission standards of EURO III while the sulphur limits on our fuel as from December 2015 should be compatible with engines that meet EURO III emission standards.

Determined to protect the environment from vehicular emission, the federal government has banned the importation, assembling and manufacturing of motorbike with two-stroke engine into the country.

By this, only motorbikes from four-stroke engines are allowed to come or be produced in the country. This ban according to a federal government gazette took effect since May 2011.

In a chat with Vanguard, in Abuja, the Director-General, National Automotive Council, Engr. Aminu Jalal said Nigeria is one of the few third world countries that are still using motorbikes with two-stroke engines.

According to him, even countries that produces it for Nigeria are no longer using them because of the environmental implications.

He said: �India and China have banned two stroke engines since the 1990s and as I speak to you India does not produce two-stroke engines any more.�

He noted that apart from being environmentally friendly, the four-stroke engines are more fuel efficient, faster and durable.

Describing the move to ban the two-stroke engine as a welcomed development, the DG said that they have been pursuing the act.

Source : Environmental Pollution : FG bans 2-stroke motorbike engines, targets EURO III standard