Wednesday, March, 11 2026 - President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate deployment of about 100,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion kits nationwide to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on Nigerians, following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
The executive chairman of the Presidential Initiative on
Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), Ismaeel Ahmed, disclosed this after a meeting
with the President at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday, March 10.
Ahmed said the President's directive is part of a broader
push by the Federal Government to cut transportation costs and expand
alternative energy use amid global oil market volatility triggered by the
ongoing United States–Israel war with Iran.
“The
President, as usual, is always trying to get information on what is going on,
especially with the war in the Middle East and the rising cost of petrol and
diesel,” Ahmed said. “He wanted to know what we are doing at Pi-CNG and EV to
scale up the availability of gas and CNG everywhere in the country so that
people would have less cost of transportation.”he said
He confirmed that about 100,000 conversion kits would be
rolled out over the next two to three weeks, enabling vehicle owners —
including tricycle operators — to convert their engines to run on gas.
“So we have
about 100,000 kits that we’re going to deploy in the next two to three weeks.
The conversion centres will all be bustling with a lot of activities,” he
added.
According to Ahmed, President Tinubu has also ordered an
accelerated expansion of infrastructure for CNG refuelling and electric vehicle
(EV) charging nationwide, with emphasis on key transport corridors in the
northern region.
“We must be
able to fast-track the infrastructure in bringing gas, CNG and electric
mobility charging infrastructure to every part of the country, especially
within the Northern Corridor,” he said
Ahmed revealed that a network of 77 CNG refuelling stations
is currently under development across the country. In Kano, he said, two
liquefied compressed natural gas (LCNG) stations are already operational, while
several “daughter stations” are under construction.
He said the government is planning a chain of refuelling
points along major transport routes from Lokoja through Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria
and Kano to Maiduguri.
“These are
all places that we are going to litter with a lot of refuelling units,” Ahmed
stated.
The Pi-CNG boss further announced that the initiative is
partnering with both local and foreign manufacturers to enhance vehicle
conversion and promote local assembly of CNG-powered and electric vehicles.
Several manufacturers, he added, have expressed willingness to establish
assembly plants in Nigeria — a move expected to create jobs and strengthen the
local automotive sector.
Ahmed also disclosed ongoing collaboration with the Rural
Electrification Agency (REA) to build solar-powered EV charging stations in
off-grid areas.
“People are
already bringing in their electric vehicles regardless. What we have to do now
is to ensure that there is enough infrastructure for them to work with,
especially off-grid,” he explained.
He noted that President Tinubu expects the initiative to
deliver quick results to make cheaper, cleaner and more sustainable transport
options available to Nigerians.
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