By Onu Okorie

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has disclosed that since the launch of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas Pi-CNG in 2023, the Federal Government, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, had facilitated more than $2 billion in private-sector investment in CNG infrastructure and value-chain development. He stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesman, Louis Ibah.
According to him, the investments have driven the expansion of refuelling infrastructure, vehicle conversion centres, technical capacity and other components required for the nationwide adoption of CNG.
He disclosed that more than 120,000 vehicles had so far been converted to CNG through a network of over 400 certified conversion centres, while more than 90 refuelling stations are currently operating.
The Minister added that the programme had trained over 7,700 automotive technicians and created more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. It has also resulted in the procurement and deployment of 655 CNG buses and 5,123 CNG tricycles.
These government-supported assets, he said, complement the thousands of privately converted vehicles now operating across Nigeria’s public and commercial transport networks.
Ekpo said the developments demonstrated that CNG was no longer merely a future alternative but an increasingly viable fuel already being used across the country.
He described the initiative as an important component of the Federal Government’s response to transportation and cost-of-living pressures that followed the removal of the petrol subsidy.
According to the Minister, the growing number of Nigerians adopting CNG provides strong validation of the programme, with commercial transport operators, private vehicle owners and fleet managers reporting significant fuel-cost savings and improved profitability.
He added that commuters using CNG-powered buses were also benefiting from lower fares.
Ekpo stressed that the Federal Government’s investment in CNG infrastructure and vehicle conversion was already delivering practical benefits, noting that as more vehicles and fleets migrate to CNG, lower operating costs would increasingly benefit commuters, businesses, farmers, traders and other productive sectors.
He, however, emphasised that the objective of the programme was not simply to increase the number of CNG vehicles and refuelling stations, but to translate fuel savings into lower transportation and logistics costs, ease the cost of living and improve economic productivity.
To sustain the momentum, the Minister said the Ministry was working with Pi-CNG, the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), state governments, transport unions, operators, investors and other stakeholders to expand refuelling and conversion infrastructure.
He said the government was also developing dedicated CNG corridors and working to extend access to underserved communities.
Ekpo commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his recent directive for an additional 500 CNG refuelling stations, which will bring the planned national network to 1,000 stations.
He said the expansion would further improve access to CNG and accelerate its adoption across the country.
The Minister also commended state governors who had embraced the programme through investments and partnerships, while urging those yet to participate to key into the initiative in the interest of Nigerians and the commuting public.