The Federal Government disclosed on Tuesday that it had secured more than $2bn in private-sector investment for the development of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure and other operational needs in the nation’s wider CNG value chain developmental initiatives.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, in a statement issued by his media aide, Louis Ibah, disclosed more than 90 CNG refuelling stations had been established nationwide as part of the government’s efforts to expand the use of the cheaper and cleaner alternative to conventional transport fuels.
Ekpo said the investment was facilitated under the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), launched in 2023, and had supported the expansion of refuelling infrastructure, vehicle conversion centres, technical capacity and the wider ecosystem required for nationwide adoption.
According to him, more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG through a network of over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 refuelling stations.
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The minister clarified: “Since the launch of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas in 2023, the Federal Government, working with relevant stakeholders, has facilitated significant private-sector investment in the CNG value chain, with more than $2bn secured for CNG infrastructure and value-chain development.
“This investment has supported the rapid expansion of refuelling infrastructure, vehicle conversion centres, technical capacity and the wider ecosystem required for nationwide adoption. More than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG through a network of over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 refuelling stations”, he added.
Similarly, the minister disclosed the over 7,700 automotive technicians had been trained under programme and created more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, while procuring and deploying 655 CNG buses and 5,123 CNG tricycles.
Ekpo explained that these assets complemented the thousands of privately converted vehicles operating across Nigeria’s public and commercial transport networks, adding that these developments show that CNG was no longer merely a future alternative, but an increasingly viable fuel already in use across the country.
He said the growing number of Nigerians adopting CNG provided strong validation of the programme, noting that commercial transport operators, private vehicle owners and fleet managers were reporting significant fuel-cost savings and improved profitability.
The minister added that commuters using CNG-powered buses were also benefiting from lower fares, adding that the objective of the programme is not simply to increase the number of CNG vehicles and refuelling stations, but to ensure that fuel savings translated into lower transportation and logistics costs.
Ekpo said: “The objective is not simply to increase the number of CNG vehicles and refuelling stations, but to translate fuel savings into lower transportation and logistics costs, ease the cost of living and improve economic productivity,” Ekpo stated.
To consolidate on the achievements recorded so far, the minister disclosed that the ministry was working with Pi-CNG, the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, state governments, transport unions, operators, investors and other stakeholders to expand refuelling and conversion infrastructure.
In addition, he confirmed that the stakeholders were also working to develop dedicated CNG corridors and extend access to underserved communities.
While expression optimism that initiative will further expand access to CNG and accelerate its adoption across the country, commended state governors who had embraced the programme through investments and partnerships, while urging those yet to do so to key into the initiative in the interest of Nigerians and the commuting public.
He assured that the Federal Government would continue to partner investors and industry stakeholders to accelerate CNG infrastructure deployment, deepen domestic gas utilisation and ensure that the benefits of the CNG programme reach ordinary Nigerians at the grassroots.
