The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles says queues at CNG refuelling stations are expected to reduce significantly before the end of the year as more facilities open across the country.
The Head of Brand and Communications at Pi-CNG, Onyekachi Eke, said some stations were undergoing licensing processes, while others had already obtained approval to begin operations.
Speaking with The PUNCH, Eke said new stations were expected to open in Kano, Abuja and other states as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to expand access to compressed natural gas.
Her remarks follow President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the rollout of an additional 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide, bringing the planned number under the Presidential CNG Initiative to 1,000.
Tinubu announced the directive in August after a meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, saying the expansion was part of efforts to reduce transportation costs, particularly for intra-state travel.
The President said the Federal Government was already investing in conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure, with more than 120,000 vehicles converted to CNG nationwide and over 100,000 additional conversion kits in the pipeline.
Eke said the rollout was progressing gradually, adding that more stations were expected to begin operations before the end of October.
“Not to be speaking authoritatively but some refuelling stations, are in the process of getting their licence. Some of them already got their licence; for instance, one will be commissioned in Kano very soon.
“Then another one again at the end of the month that is still in Kano. So, from zero to about twelve now or ten in Kano. I don’t have the correct figure. But more are coming up in Abuja here too. So, it’s a gradual process.”
She added that the initiative was working with state governments, transport operators and other stakeholders to ensure the President’s directive was implemented.
“We have insights that will be coming up even before the end of October in different states. And we’re also working with state governors, transporters and everybody to ensure that the president’s declaration or mandate sees the light of day.”
The Pi-CNG official acknowledged that queues at existing refuelling stations remained a challenge but said they also reflected growing interest in converting vehicles to run on CNG.
She expressed optimism that the opening of more stations would ease the pressure on existing facilities before the end of the year, saying, “The queues also show that more people are converting. But hopefully before the end of the year, the queues will drastically reduce because of more refuelling stations.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of Pi-CNG, Tosin Coker, said the first batch of additional assets was expected to begin arriving soon: “We expect the first batch to begin arriving from next week.”
Coker, however, clarified that Pi-CNG was not directly responsible for delivering the assets, explaining that the deployment was being handled in partnership with the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund.
“It is important to clarify that these are not being delivered directly by Pi-CNG & EV. The deployment is being carried out in partnership with the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, so the necessary clearance, delivery and installation processes will be handled through the appropriate channels before the assets become operational,” he said.
The Federal Government has promoted CNG as a cheaper alternative to petrol, particularly for commercial transport operators, following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Tinubu said a vehicle running on CNG could spend between 60 and 80 per cent less on fuel than one running on petrol. He also set a target for Nigerians to begin benefiting from lower transport fares from 1 October 2026, following an agreement with state governors to translate fuel savings into cheaper fares.
The President also disclosed that the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund was financing more than 100 gas projects nationwide, including 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations. Four projects were commissioned in May in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri, including a 15-station refuelling network in Lagos and an Abuja facility designed to serve 1,000 cars and tricycles and 50 trucks and buses daily.