President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate deployment of 100,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits across Nigeria to help cushion the impact of rising transportation costs triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The directive was disclosed on Tuesday by the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), Ismaeel Ahmed, after a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ahmed explained that President Tinubu is closely monitoring global developments and their implications for Nigeria’s energy sector, particularly the potential impact of the Middle East crisis on fuel prices and transportation costs.
According to him, the conversion kits will be deployed within the next two to three weeks and distributed through collaboration with multiple stakeholders across the country.
He noted that the initiative will allow vehicle owners, including tricycle operators and other commercial transporters, to convert their vehicles to run on compressed natural gas, which is considered a cheaper alternative to petrol.
Ahmed also revealed that the President has directed that the expansion of CNG infrastructure should prioritize key transportation corridors, especially in the northern region of the country.
He further disclosed that about 77 CNG refilling stations are currently at various stages of development nationwide.
According to him, the Federal Government plans to establish a network of refueling stations along major transport routes stretching from Lokoja through Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria, and Kano up to Maiduguri, in a move aimed at strengthening gas-powered transportation across the country.
