Nigeria: Ekpo Urges Faster Rollout Of One Million CNG Vehicles To Cut Transport Fares

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has urged officials to accelerate the rollout of one million compressed natural gas-powered vehicles to help reduce transport fares.

Ekpo issued the directive while receiving progress reports from the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles and the Decade of Gas Secretariat at the weekend.

In a statement issued on Sunday, his spokesman, Louis Ibah, said the minister called for increased investment in refuelling infrastructure and vehicle conversion facilities to expand CNG adoption nationwide.

Ekpo said the government’s autogas policy must deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians, particularly lower transport fares following the removal of the petrol subsidy in 2023.

The government has promoted CNG as a cheaper alternative to petrol to help reduce transport operators’ fuel costs and ease pressure on commuters.

Delivering those savings, however, depends on access to refuelling stations, affordable vehicle conversions, reliable gas supplies and operators passing on lower costs to passengers.

Ekpo said Nigeria’s gas resources offered an opportunity to lower transportation costs, increase domestic gas consumption and stimulate economic growth.

“It is important that we listen to the directive of Mr. President to make transportation cheaper via CNG. We will continue to give you all the backing to provide the necessary assistance to make sure we drive this project to a logical conclusion,” he said.

The minister urged both bodies to prioritise infrastructure investment and strengthen programmes aimed at expanding the use of gas as a transport fuel.

He also welcomed progress under the presidential initiative’s current leadership and pledged continued government support.

Ekpo said domestic gas consumption had exceeded two billion cubic feet per day for the first time in Nigeria’s history, providing an opportunity to expand gas utilisation and support economic growth.

Ismaeel Ahmed, chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, said the initiative would step up investment in refuelling infrastructure and programmes to increase vehicle conversions.

He said the aim was to make CNG more accessible to transport operators and help reduce fares for millions of Nigerians.

Ahmed said a joint industry market study completed by the Decade of Gas Secretariat had provided a framework for accelerating the rollout, monitoring progress and identifying infrastructure gaps.

The study would help the government and industry stakeholders prioritise interventions and improve implementation, he added.

Ed Ubong, coordinator of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, described CNG as an important component of Nigeria’s energy transition and pledged continued support for the initiative.

He said the secretariat would promote domestic gas consumption and gas exports to deliver benefits to Nigerians and create opportunities for investors.

Nigeria launched its CNG programme to cushion the impact of petrol subsidy removal by encouraging motorists and transport operators to switch to alternative fuels. The programme includes support for vehicle conversions, refuelling facilities and gas distribution infrastructure.