- Targets 1,000,000 by 2027
- Provides 85 CNG buses nationwide
THE federal government, yesterday, disclosed plans to increase Nigeria’s Compressed Natural Gas, CNG conversion by 733 per cent to 250,000 in June 2025, from 30,000 in October 2024.
The Presidential CNG Initiative, Pi-CNG, a component of the palliative intervention of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, which made the disclosure, said by 2027, Nigeria’s CNG conversion would be increased by more than 3,000 per cent to 1,000,000, from the current 30,000 in October 2024.
Engr. Zayyanu Tambari, Regulatory & Compliance Coordinator, Presidential CNG Initiative, Pi-CNG, who disclosed this at a virtual event – Driving the Energy Transition: CNG Conversion – organised by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, MEMAN, yesterday, said the conversion programme is currently driven by 100 conversion partners, expected to increase to 150 and 200 by March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2025, respectively.
Meanwhile, he said a total of 85 CNG buses were delivered to four cities, explaining that 20 were supplied to Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan and Ilorin each while five were delivered to other parts of the nation.
Engr. Tambari, who noted the safety of CNG, said the Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System, NGVMS, would be launched to enhance safety practices, adding: “In September 2024, the Pi-CNG launched additional nine CNG refuelling sites and related concessioning of Tricycle routes around them for additional 2,000 tricycles in 2024. Three states were activated.
“In October 2024, we launched local manufacturing of CNG kits and cylinders and CNG fund to bridge infrastructure gap and CNG Green Financing Initiative. In November and December 2024, we intend to launch a finance scheme for the refuelling add-on programme and completion of 100,000 conversions and countdown to one million Presidents kits.”
Similarly, the Deputy Operations manager, NIPCo, Ujiadugbeli Nosiediana, said the company has been in the forefront of the nation’s CNG conversion for several years, adding: “NIPCo started CNG conversion in 2009. It pioneered Auto-CNG distribution for automobiles in Nigeria and has been providing the economical fuel the masses.”
“Currently, 19 CNG stations are operational, including four mother stations, which are feeding CNG to daughter booster stations in various parts of Nigeria. We have five conversion workshops operational in Benin City, Ibafo, Abuja and Ibadan, converting PMS vehicles to CNG.
“In Benin city, seven CNG stations are already operational and catering to more than 10,000 long-haul (buses and trucks) vehicles with auto-CNG fuel.”
On his part, the Deputy Director, Standards Development Coordination Division, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Engr. Olalekan Omoniyi, said some standards have been put in place to regulate CNG conversion while ensuring safety and lives as well as properties in the country.
He said: “Regulators are encouraged to obtain relevant standards on the management and handling of the CNG equipment and components. SON training is available to train stakeholders on standards requirement and compliance. SON and partner regulatory agencies must ensure the enforcement of the Pressure Certificate Plate.
“Certificate of personnel and conversion centres should be carried out before conversion centres are granted approval to operate as stipulated in the Nigerian national Guide NNG 1214: 2024 – Autogas (CNG) Conversion kits – Guideline for installation of specific components for the use of CNG in their propulsion system.”
