The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) has attracted $491 million (₦760.64 billion) in private investments and created 84,000 jobs—9,000 direct and 75,000 indirect—within its first year of operation.
Project director Michael Oluwagbemi disclosed this on Monday, April 7, 2025, during the fifth edition of the Meet the Press event held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, the success so far is driven by a strong stakeholder engagement and awareness campaign carried out between May and November 2024. "We've attracted over $491 million to AutoNG, convincing the private sector to invest alongside government efforts by sparking demand from commercial and private vehicle users," he said.
He noted that conversion capacity for bi-fuel systems has increased by 3,000%, with the number of conversion centres rising from seven to over 200 nationwide.
The PCNGI is targeting 10,000 vehicle conversions by the end of Q1 2025. So far, it has deployed 405 buses through agreements with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress. To close supply gaps, the new Refuelling On-Lending Programme will provide equipment at cost to key partners.
By June 2025, compressed natural gas coverage is expected to expand from five to 17 states. "Kwara is live, with Kogi, Ekiti, Rivers, and Abuja joining by May 1, followed by Kaduna, Abia, Enugu, Niger, Kano, and Benue by June 12," Oluwagbemi said.
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Private sector partners are set to deploy 150 new refuelling stations within the next 18 months. The NNPC has already added 12, with eight more expected this quarter and over 100 approved for rollout over the next 18 to 24 months.
Oluwagbemi also announced the upcoming launch of the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System (NGVMS), expected by year-end, which will ensure only certified vehicles are refuelled at CNG stations.
To address safety concerns, he highlighted ongoing collaborations with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Gas, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Automotive Design and Development Council, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and the Federal Road Safety Corps—all of which are expected to become active within 60 days.
He added that the recent incident in Benin involving illegal cylinder fabrication would be prevented under the new safety framework enabled by the NGVMS.
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