CNG price may drop as adoption expands, Pi-CNG boss assures Nigerians

The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) has assured Nigerians that the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is unlikely to follow the upward trend in petrol and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices, expressing optimism that increased adoption could make the fuel more affordable.

The Chief Operating Officer of Pi-CNG & EV, Tosin Coker, gave the assurance during an interview at the end of a media engagement organised by the Decade of Gas Secretariat and Pi-CNG & EV in Kano.

Coker attributed the anticipated price stability to Nigeria’s abundant natural gas reserves and the country’s ability to influence domestic gas pricing, unlike petrol and LPG, whose prices are significantly affected by international market developments.

He noted that geopolitical tensions, particularly the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, could trigger increases in global petroleum prices, with consequences for domestic fuel costs.

According to him, the recent crisis involving Iran has contributed to pressure on petrol prices, while LPG prices have also risen.

“People should not fear that the price of CNG will go up in line with the prices of petrol and LPG. The reason is that CNG is natural gas, which we have in abundance and whose pricing we control as a nation,” he said.

Coker expressed optimism that CNG prices could decline further as more refuelling stations become operational and competition among service providers increases.

“There is no reason why the price should go up. If anything, it should even continue to come down because there is more competition,” he added.

He urged Nigerians to embrace CNG as an alternative transportation fuel, saying its wider adoption would help reduce transportation costs and strengthen the country’s energy security.

The media engagement, organised by the Decade of Gas Secretariat in collaboration with Pi-CNG & EV, brought together about 27 journalists from television, radio, print and digital media organisations to improve reporting on Nigeria’s gas development agenda.

The session was the first formal engagement with journalists in Kano, following similar programmes in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

Speaking on developments in the gas sector, the Workstream Lead for Infrastructure and Demand at the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Taofeek Balogun, said Nigeria’s proven gas reserves had increased from 208.83 trillion cubic feet in 2023 to 215.19 trillion cubic feet as of January 2026.

He added that average gas production had risen from 6.86 billion cubic feet per day to approximately 7.5 billion cubic feet per day, while domestic gas supply had exceeded two billion cubic feet per day.

Balogun also disclosed that about $3.5 billion in investments had been committed to four major gas projects, while the OB3 Gas Pipeline had reached 100 per cent completion and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline was approximately 95 per cent complete.

He further highlighted ₦671 billion in public infrastructure funding that had attracted about ₦1.6 trillion in private investment.

On cleaner cooking, Balogun said the government’s LPG programme was targeting five million households by 2030, with distribution activities involving 27,000 cylinders already under way.

In his presentation on CNG and autogas, Coker highlighted the role of natural gas in reducing transportation costs, improving energy security and supporting Nigeria’s transition to cleaner mobility.

He also addressed concerns about CNG safety, stressing the importance of certified conversion centres, approved equipment, regulatory compliance and proper vehicle maintenance.

The initiative disclosed that 670 CNG buses had been deployed nationwide, including 285 operating commercially across 13 states, while 302 buses had been allocated to transport unions, students and government agencies.

It added that participating CNG bus routes under the National Affordable CNG Transition Programme had recorded fare reductions of between 15 and 50 per cent.

According to the initiative, plans were also under way to establish 127 additional CNG refuelling stations across 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory to improve accessibility and accelerate adoption.

Kano State was identified as a strategic hub for clean mobility in Northern Nigeria, with seven operational CNG refuelling stations, the highest number in the North-West, while 17 additional stations were at various stages of completion.

The initiative also said it had deployed 25 additional buses to complement earlier commercial deployments in the state.

Speaking on behalf of participating journalists, Murtala Adewale of The Guardian commended the organisers for the engagement, describing it as educative, informative and beneficial to media practitioners.

He called for more frequent capacity-building programmes and stronger collaboration between journalists, industry stakeholders and regulatory agencies to promote accurate reporting on developments in the gas sector.

The Decade of Gas Secretariat and Pi-CNG & EV reaffirmed their commitment to sustained media engagement and public enlightenment as Nigeria advances its efforts to develop a gas-powered economy.