The Federal Government says over 100,000 petrol-powered vehicles have been converted to Compressed Natural Gas in the past year, stressing that it recorded significant progress in advancing the use of alternative fuel across the country.
The Programme Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi, disclosed this at a sensitisation programme workshop in Lagos.
In statement on Friday, Oluwagbemi said that as the Federal Government ramped up efforts to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, the initiative had achieved a major success in the last year.
According to him, the number of CNG-powered vehicles in the country had risen from fewer than 4,000 to nearly 100,000 in just over a year.
“The President’s vision was clear: reduce the pressure on citizens by leveraging domestic energy sources like natural gas to create a more sustainable, cost-effective transportation system.
“Public awareness was initially low, but Nigerians are now embracing CNG across the country,” he said.
Oluwagbemi highlighted a growing level of private sector participation, citing the Dangote Group’s recent rollout of 4,000 CNG trucks as a testament to industry confidence in the programme.
“It’s not just a government project—businesses are investing because they see the benefits,” he added.The PCNGI boss revealed that the next phase of the initiative targets 250,000 vehicle conversions in partnership with private operators.
“So far, over $1bn has been invested in the sector, including $280m from Dangote Group, $28m from Arita LNG, and contributions from other stakeholders like Femadec, Greenview, and Greenville.
“From just seven conversion centres last year, we now have 265 centres nationwide. We’ve also created over 10,000 direct jobs and grown from 20 to 60 operational refuelling stations, with 175 more underway,” he said.
On safety concerns, Oluwagbemi clarified that CNG is significantly safer than conventional fuels.He said, “CNG is 18 times less explosive than petrol and eight times less than diesel.
Most explosion reports are either exaggerated or involve petrol-powered vehicles, not CNG.
”The programme, he said, is part of a broader national strategy to reduce transport and food prices while improving household incomes.
“When transport becomes cheaper, it reflects in food costs. In Lagos, for instance, the cost of meat has dropped in some areas because livestock is now transported using CNG trucks,” Oluwagbemi said.
He also confirmed strong support from major transport unions, including the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Road Transport Workers, as well as private logistics operators.
“So far, we have 60 CNG stations up and running—up from just 20 in late 2023. Over the next three months, we plan to commission an additional 100,” he added.
Defending the pace of implementation, Oluwagbemi stated, “Rome wasn’t built in a day. Those who led Nigeria into the fuel subsidy crisis cannot fairly criticise the speed at which we’re solving it.”
He urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s broader energy transition plan and renewable energy vision.
