The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Initiative on CNG (PiCNG), Ismaeel Ahmed, has disclosed that over $1 billion in private sector investments has flowed into Nigeria’s CNG value chain.
Speaking at the pilot launch of the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System (NGVMS) held at an NNPC Retail Station in Abuja, Ahmed added that more conversion and refuelling stations will be commissioned nationwide before year-end.
Similarly, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, who launched the NGVMS, stated that it is a key step in the Federal Government’s drive to promote safety, accountability, and environmental integrity in the nation’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sector.
Ekpo added that the NGVMS will ensure that only vehicles converted at accredited facilities with certified kits can access CNG at approved stations.
He noted that the system will provide end-to-end oversight, from conversion to re-fuelling, guaranteeing the safety of citizens and the integrity of Nigeria’s growing CNG ecosystem.
Ekpo described the initiative as a milestone under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Decade of Gas Initiative, aimed at making CNG the affordable and sustainable energy choice for Nigerians.
Leaders of various transport unions in Nigeria, in their goodwill messages at the event, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for launching the PiCNG to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal in 2023.
They said that under the initiative, members have benefited from over one million free CNG kits, buses, and tricycles (Keke), which has led to significantly reduced transportation costs and subsequently lowered the prices of foodstuffs across the country.
The union leaders urged the government to prioritise commercial vehicles in the CNG project, ensuring that they are given preference. Additionally, they appealed for the expansion of CNG stations nationwide, noting that only a few states currently have CNG conversion and refuelling stations. This, they believed, would further enhance the effectiveness of the initiative.
