The Federal Government’s plan to shift Nigeria’s transport sector from petrol to CNG has hit a serious roadblock. Despite a whopping ₦785.6 billion investment and big promises, the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative is struggling to take off nationwide.
What Went Wrong?
Initially, many Nigerians welcomed the programme, eager to embrace cheaper and cleaner fuel. But now, frustration has replaced hope as refill stations, conversion centres, and basic infrastructure remain either missing or dysfunctional.
In many states, the CNG buses, conversion kits, and refill stations are either gathering dust or not working at all. Even worse, some private users who converted their cars to gas are now switching back to petrol due to poor gas supply and long refill queues.
Why Are People Abandoning CNG?
Many drivers say gas is hard to find and stations are too few. For example, in Abuja and Nasarawa, where petrol stations are everywhere, there’s only one CNG station—and it isn’t even working. Drivers now spend up to six days in line just to fill up, and some end up sleeping at the stations.
Ahmed Kunle, a taxi driver in Abuja, told news reporters he spent eight hours in line last week. “It saves money,” he said, “but I can’t waste this much time.”
Another driver, Mr. Longe Lege, explained that CNG once reduced his fuel costs from ₦60,000 to ₦15,000 a week. But with only three reliable CNG stations in Abuja, he’s gone back to petrol. “It’s just not worth the stress anymore,” he added.
Accusations of Sabotage
Some drivers suspect foul play. A trucker accused people in the petrol industry and government regulators of blocking the rollout. “They’re making money from petrol and don’t want Nigerians to stop using it,” he said. “So why is it so hard to set up more gas stations?”
Government’s Position
Despite the growing setbacks, officials from the Presidential CNG Initiative say the programme hasn’t failed. They admit there are challenges but claim efforts are ongoing to resolve them.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed all government departments to buy CNG vehicles. The government also removed VAT on gas equipment and funded free conversions for one million commercial vehicles. Still, the project seems stuck.
State by State Picture
Abuja/Nasarawa:
Only one CNG station exists on the busy Abuja-Keffi road and it’s not working. The only functioning one in Nasarawa is far away in Lafia. Many drivers, like Adamu Suleiman, are glad they never converted to gas.
Lagos:
CNG stations in Ikeja, Mushin and Apapa were out of stock when visited. A source at NIPCO said delays in equipment delivery are to blame. Some private outlets have kits, but they’re not the subsidised ones from the government.
South-East:
In Enugu, 50 CNG buses are parked and awaiting deployment. Another 50 are expected soon. Ebonyi has bought buses too, but operations haven’t started. In Abia, the government isn’t interested in CNG buses, preferring to roll out electric vehicles by July. In Anambra, Innoson Motors is producing CNG vehicles, but locals aren’t using them. Most customers are federal agencies from outside the state.
South-South:
This region despite being rich in gas shows almost no sign of the CNG programme. In Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River, and Delta, residents say they’ve never seen a CNG bus. Labour leaders and transport workers confirmed this.
Bayelsa’s NLC Secretary, John Angese, said: “We thought the project would reach the states, but nothing has happened since it was launched.” Meanwhile, Delta signed a deal with NIPCO to build a CNG conversion centre earlier this year, but no visible progress has been made.
In Akwa Ibom, after a big announcement last year, nothing concrete has happened. The government is still looking for private partners to build refill stations. Construction has started on one “mother station” in Esit Eket, but no date for completion has been announced.
What’s Next?
Despite the many challenges, officials insist the situation is temporary. They claim new stations and kits are on the way and that things will improve soon. But for now, many Nigerians who had high hopes for cheaper transport are stuck in long queues, or worse, going back to costly petrol.