CNG-powered buses. Photo: FG
Some public transport routes participating in the Federal Government’s compressed natural gas transition programme have recorded fare reductions of between 15 and 50 per cent, the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles has said.
The initiative disclosed this during a media engagement organised in Kano on Thursday by the Decade of Gas Secretariat in collaboration with PI-CNG & EV, where officials outlined progress in the country’s gas development and cleaner transportation programmes.
The Chief Operating Officer of PI-CNG & EV, Tosin Coker, said CNG could help reduce transportation costs, improve energy security and support Nigeria’s transition to cleaner mobility.
“CNG can help reduce transportation costs and support Nigeria’s transition to cleaner mobility, but safety must remain a priority. Vehicle owners should use certified conversion centres, approved equipment and ensure proper vehicle maintenance,” Coker said.
PI-CNG & EV reported that 670 CNG buses had been deployed nationwide. Of these, 285 were operating commercially across 13 states, while 302 had been allocated to transport unions, students and government agencies.
However, the initiative’s presentation did not clarify the status of the remaining 83 buses or whether the commercial and allocation categories overlapped.
The initiative also said hundreds of additional CNG buses and tricycles were on order as part of efforts to expand access to cleaner and more affordable public transportation. It added that participating routes under the National Affordable CNG Transition Programme had recorded fare reductions of between 15 and 50 per cent.
On refuelling infrastructure, PI-CNG & EV said plans were underway for 127 additional CNG refuelling stations across 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory to improve access to the fuel and accelerate its nationwide adoption.
Kano State was identified as a strategic hub for cleaner mobility in Northern Nigeria, with seven operational CNG refuelling stations and 17 additional stations at various stages of completion, the initiative said.
The initiative also reported deploying 25 additional buses in Kano to complement earlier commercial deployments, citing opportunities to expand affordable transportation, investment and industrial development along the northern gas corridor.
However, the presentation did not specify the individual routes where the fare reductions were recorded or provide examples of the previous and current fares.
At the engagement, 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.
“Four major gas projects had attracted $3.5bn in committed investments, while the OB3 Gas Pipeline had been completed and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline was about 95 per cent complete,” Balogun disclosed.
He said N671bn in public infrastructure funding had attracted approximately N1.6tn in private investment, while the government’s liquefied petroleum gas programme was targeting five million households by 2030.
Speaking on behalf of participating journalists, the Chairman of the Kano State Correspondents’ Chapel, Murtala Adewale, described the engagement as informative and beneficial and called for more frequent capacity-building sessions.
The Decade of Gas Secretariat and PI-CNG & EV reaffirmed their commitment to media engagement, stakeholder collaboration and public education as Nigeria pursues its gas development agenda.