Uche Cecil Izuora
The Federal Government has called for accelerated investment in refuelling infrastructure and vehicle conversions to reduce transportation costs, as it mobilizes resources to deploy one million Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered vehicles across the country.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, gave the directive in Abuja over the weekend while receiving progress reports from the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles and the Decade of Gas Secretariat.
Ekpo said the government must translate its autogas policy into tangible benefits for Nigerians, particularly lower transport fares following the removal of petrol subsidy.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the minister’s spokesman, Louis Ibah, Ekpo tasked the leadership of both bodies with identifying critical interventions, expanding infrastructure and strengthening programmes to increase nationwide adoption of compressed natural gas.
The statement read, “The Federal Government has pledged to intensify efforts to promote compressed natural gas as a cheaper alternative fuel for transportation, with a renewed focus on accelerating the rollout of one million CNG-powered vehicles across the country.
“To this end, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has tasked the leadership of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles and the Decade of Gas Secretariat to focus on critical interventions, step up investments, expand CNG infrastructure and strengthen programmes to drive nationwide adoption.”
The renewed push comes amid persistent concerns over the cost of public transportation following the removal of petrol subsidy in 2023, which increased the cost of running petrol-powered vehicles and placed additional pressure on household incomes.
CNG, which is generally cheaper than petrol on an energy-equivalent basis, has been promoted by the Federal Government as an alternative that could reduce transport operators’ fuel expenses and ease pressure on commuters. However, the benefits depend on the availability of refuelling stations, affordable vehicle conversion, reliable gas supply and operators passing savings on to passengers.
Ekpo said Nigeria’s abundant gas resources offered an opportunity to lower transportation costs, increase domestic gas consumption and stimulate economic growth.
“Nigeria is a gas nation with a gas reserves index of over 80 yrs, and that is why we are talking about the Decade(s) of Gas,” he said.
He stressed the need to follow President Bola Tinubu’s directive to make transportation more affordable through CNG, adding that the government would continue to support the initiative.
“It is important that we listen to the directive of Mr President to make transportation cheaper via CNG. We will continue to give you all the backing to provide the necessary assistance to make sure we drive this project to a logical conclusion,” the minister said.
He urged the Presidential Initiative and the Decade of Gas Secretariat to sustain investments in refuelling infrastructure, vehicle conversion facilities and other essential components needed to expand the use of gas as a transport fuel.
The minister also welcomed progress recorded under the current leadership of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, assuring the team of the government’s continued backing.
Ekpo noted that domestic gas consumption had risen above two billion cubic feet per day for the first time in Nigeria’s history, describing the development as an opportunity to deepen gas utilisation and support the country’s economic ambitions.
The Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, Ismaeel Ahmed, said the initiative would intensify investments and programmes to expand refuelling infrastructure and increase the number of vehicles converted to run on gas.
According to him, the effort was aimed at making CNG more accessible to transport operators and helping reduce fares for millions of Nigerians.
Ahmed added that a joint industry market study completed by the Decade of Gas Secretariat had provided a framework for accelerating the rollout, monitoring progress, identifying infrastructure gaps and improving implementation.
The study, he said, would help the government and industry stakeholders identify priority interventions and strengthen efforts to make CNG a widely available transportation fuel.
The Coordinator of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Ed Ubong, described CNG as an important component of Nigeria’s energy transition and pledged continued support for the presidential initiative.
He said the secretariat would continue to promote greater domestic gas consumption and export utilisation, with the aim of delivering benefits to Nigerians while creating opportunities for investors.
The Federal Government had launched the CNG initiative as part of efforts to cushion the impact of petrol subsidy removal by encouraging motorists and transport operators to switch to cheaper alternative fuels. The programme includes support for vehicle conversions, the development of refuelling facilities and the expansion of the infrastructure needed to distribute gas.
The renewed one-million-vehicle target, however, will require sustained investment and coordination among government agencies, gas suppliers, conversion centres and transport operators to ensure that infrastructure expansion translates into lower operating costs and more affordable fares for commuters