President Bola Tinubu has directed the rollout of an additional 500 compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling stations across Nigeria, bringing the total number planned under the Presidential CNG Initiative to 1,000.
Tinubu announced the directive on Thursday after meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, saying state governments had agreed to take immediate steps to reduce transportation costs by leveraging the lower operating costs of CNG and electric vehicles.
In a statement personally signed and posted on his X account, the President said the Federal Government was already making major investments in the country’s energy transition, including the expansion of vehicle conversion centres and CNG refuelling infrastructure.
“Through the Presidential CNG Initiative, over 120,000 vehicles have been converted nationwide, with more than 100,000 additional conversion kits in the works,” Tinubu said.
He added that the Federal Government, through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, was financing more than 100 gas projects nationwide, comprising 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations.
According to the President, four of the projects were commissioned in May in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri. They include a 15-station CNG refuelling network in Lagos and an Abuja facility capable of serving up to 1,000 cars and tricycles and 50 trucks and buses daily.
“I have also directed the additional rollout of another 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide in addition to the 500 stations ordered earlier in the year by the Fund, bringing the programme to 1,000 stations across the country,” Tinubu said.
He said the expansion was particularly important for intra-state transportation, where rising fares have had a direct impact on Nigerians.
Tinubu said the Federal and state governments had also agreed to establish a joint committee to begin implementing measures aimed at reducing transport costs.
“A vehicle running on CNG spends 60 to 80 per cent less on fuel than one running on petrol,” he said.
“From October 1, our goal is that Nigerians begin to partake in those savings through lower transport fares. We have agreed that cheaper fuel should result in cheaper fares.”
The President urged all levels of government to work together to ensure that the benefits of the energy transition translate into lower transportation costs for Nigerians.
