The Federal Government has launched the Northern Corridor phase of its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicle transport programme in Kano State as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs and support cleaner energy adoption across Nigeria.
The initiative, launched through the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG), is expected to improve the movement of passengers and goods while helping Nigerians cope with rising transport expenses linked to fuel subsidy removal and inflation.
The launch event held at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano attracted transport operators, investors, government officials and representatives of the Kano State Government.
Representing Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, described the programme as a strategic economic intervention designed to support Nigeria’s energy transition agenda and strengthen the transport sector.
According to him, transportation costs continue to contribute heavily to inflation, especially through food prices and logistics expenses affecting households and businesses nationwide.
“This transition is not just an energy policy; it is an economic strategy aimed at reducing costs and strengthening long-term growth,” Hadejia said.
The Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pi-CNG, Ismaeel Ahmed, said the programme has grown beyond a short-term response to fuel subsidy removal into a broader plan for sustainable transportation and industrial development.
Ahmed said the initiative is already expanding through vehicle conversion centres, refuelling stations and technical workforce development across several states.
He disclosed that more than 300 conversion partners have been onboarded nationwide, including 41 centres located in Kano State alone.
According to him, over 7,000 Nigerians have also been trained under the programme as part of efforts to build local technical capacity for the growing CNG and electric vehicle ecosystem.
“We are guided by three priorities: affordability, availability and acceptability. Nigerians should be able to convert their vehicles without financial pressure,” Ahmed said.
He further revealed that the initiative has attracted over $2bn in investment commitments, adding that Kano’s position as a major commercial and logistics hub makes it critical to the success of the Northern Corridor project.
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, described the programme as a timely intervention that would lower transportation costs and improve living standards across the state.
“Kano has always occupied a strategic position in commerce, transportation and industry. Any initiative capable of reducing transportation costs and providing affordable alternatives will directly improve the lives of millions of our people,” Yusuf said.
The event also featured the commissioning of two new CNG refuelling stations aimed at supporting clean mobility infrastructure in Kano and neighbouring northern states, Nigeria Startup News (NSN) reports.
