The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles says over 4,600 tricycles and 100,000 vehicles in Nigeria now use CNG as an alternative or complementary fuel.
The Chief Compliance Officer of PiCNG, Mr Zayyanu Tambari, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.
PUNCH Online reports that CNG is a cleaner, cheaper alternative to petrol and diesel, primarily methane compressed at high pressure, used for vehicles and industry.
It gained traction after 2020 with the National Gas Expansion Programme and saw a renewed push with the establishment of PiCNG by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, following the removal of fuel subsidies.
Tambari recalled that as of 2023, there were only about 11,000 CNG-converted vehicles in the country, adding that the initiative aims to convert one million vehicles by 2027.
“Currently, there are more than 100,000 cars that are using CNG on the Nigerian roads. Companies in the private sector and operators are refitting their fleets, especially for long-haul transport, to run on CNG.
“There are more than 11,000 Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) assembled, including haulage trucks and more than 4,000 Dangote trucks.
“More than 4,600 CNG tricycles and 510 CNG/AGO/PMS buses have been deployed. Our target is to convert one million vehicles by 2027,” he said.
He said the presidential mandate was to convert one million vehicles or to have at least one million vehicles using CNG—either converted, factory-fitted, manufactured in Nigeria, or imported—by 2027.
He recalled that at its inauguration, there were 11 states with CNG infrastructure, but currently, there are more than 23 states with a CNG footprint and conversion programme, while there are 379 conversion centres in the country.
“By the end of 2026, we will have taken the CNG footprint to every state, if not every senatorial district in Nigeria,” he said.
Tambari also said that as of 2023, there were 20 refilling infrastructures in Nigeria, but currently there are 58,000 refilling stations and 21 CNG mother stations, while over 6,300 technicians have been trained.
He said the programme has attracted over two billion dollars in investment in the CNG subsector, with a target of five billion dollars by 2027, given private sector interest in the CNG ecosystem.
He recalled that President Bola Tinubu unveiled the PiCNG programme in 2023 as a critical component of Nigeria’s energy mix, expressing commitment to continue expanding CNG stations and EV charging infrastructure for affordable mobility.
“But if you look at what we have achieved, and then we are now growing geometrically and hopefully exponentially, by 2027 we will exceed this number,’’ he said.
(NAN)
