President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate deployment of over 100,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits across Nigeria as part of urgent measures to reduce transportation costs amid the worsening fuel crisis.
The directive was issued on Tuesday as Nigerians continue to grapple with rising petrol prices and escalating transport fares, especially in major cities where commuters are increasingly feeling the economic pressure.
The decision is aimed at providing a cheaper alternative to petrol and diesel by encouraging the use of gas-powered vehicles across the country.
Transport costs have surged sharply in recent days, with fares reportedly rising by more than 50 per cent on several routes in Abuja. The situation has been worsened by the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which has forced many motorists to buy fuel at higher prices.
In several filling stations across the Federal Capital Territory, petrol was sold for as high as N1400 per litre, while the few Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) stations dispensing fuel sold at about N1168 per litre.
The rising cost has forced many workers, particularly civil servants, to abandon the use of their personal vehicles and resort to public transport. In some cases, junior government workers have reportedly stayed away from work due to the high cost of transportation.
Concerned about the growing hardship, the President directed the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG) to immediately scale up its programme and expand access to CNG nationwide.
The move forms part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce reliance on petrol and provide Nigerians with more affordable energy alternatives for transportation.
Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, Ismaeel Ahmed, confirmed the development while speaking with State House journalists after meeting with the President.
According to Ahmed, Tinubu is closely monitoring global developments and their impact on Nigeria’s energy costs, particularly the effect of the ongoing Middle East conflict on global fuel prices.
Ahmed said the President instructed the initiative to act quickly in order to reduce the burden on Nigerians.
“The President, as usual, is always trying to get information on what is going on, especially with the war in the Middle East and the rising cost of petrol and diesel,” Ahmed said.
“He wanted to know what we are doing at Pi-CNG and EV to scale up the availability of gas and CNG everywhere in the country so that people would have less cost of transportation.”
He explained that the government has already secured about 100,000 CNG conversion kits that will be distributed across the country to enable vehicle owners convert their engines from petrol to gas.
The conversion kits are expected to support private motorists, commercial drivers and operators of tricycles and other forms of public transportation.
“So we have about 100,000 kits that we’re going to deploy in the next two to three weeks. The conversion centres will all be bustling with a lot of activities,” Ahmed said.
He noted that the deployment of the kits is only one part of a broader effort to expand Nigeria’s alternative fuel infrastructure.
Ahmed disclosed that the government is also accelerating the development of CNG refuelling stations and electric vehicle charging infrastructure nationwide.
According to him, the President has specifically directed that the expansion of infrastructure should focus on major transportation corridors, particularly across northern Nigeria.
“We must be able to fast-track the infrastructure in bringing gas, CNG and electric mobility charging infrastructure to every part of the country, especially within the Northern Corridor,” he said.
He added that the government is currently working on building a network of refuelling and charging facilities that will support the transition to gas-powered and electric vehicles.
Ahmed revealed that about 77 CNG refilling stations are currently at various stages of development across Nigeria.
He cited Kano as an example where two Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) stations are already operational, while additional “daughter stations” are being constructed to expand access.
The government also plans to establish refuelling points along major transportation routes connecting several northern cities.
According to Ahmed, the planned corridor will stretch from Lokoja through Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, extending further to Maiduguri.
“These are all places that we are going to litter with a lot of refuelling units,” he said.
Beyond the deployment of kits and infrastructure development, the Pi-CNG initiative is also working with both local and international manufacturers to support vehicle conversion and encourage the local assembly of CNG-powered and electric vehicles.
Ahmed disclosed that several manufacturers have already shown interest in establishing assembly lines in Nigeria.
He said such investments could boost job creation while strengthening Nigeria’s automotive industry.
The programme is also collaborating with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to deploy solar-powered charging stations that will support electric vehicles, particularly in off-grid communities.
Ahmed noted that the number of Nigerians importing electric vehicles is steadily increasing, creating the need for stronger infrastructure to support their usage.
“People are already bringing in their electric vehicles regardless. What we have to do now is to ensure that there is enough infrastructure for them to work with, especially off-grid,” he said.
The President, according to Ahmed, expects the initiative to deliver rapid results that will allow Nigerians to access cheaper and more sustainable transport alternatives as soon as possible.
