By Achile Danjuma
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the urgent deployment of 100,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits within the next two to three weeks, aiming to mitigate the burden of soaring petrol and diesel prices on the Nigerian public.
Ismaeel Ahmed, the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), disclosed this to State House correspondents on Tuesday following a briefing with the President in Abuja.
According to Ahmed, the directive was prompted by escalating global petroleum prices linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has led to a sharp increase in domestic transportation costs.
“The President is keenly monitoring global developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and its direct impact on the rising cost of petrol and diesel here at home,” Ahmed stated. “He summoned this meeting to assess our progress at Pi-CNG and determine how we can rapidly scale up the availability of gas across the country to ensure Nigerians benefit from lower transportation costs.”
Ahmed revealed that Tinubu issued a firm mandate to accelerate the distribution of conversion kits, facilitating a widespread shift from traditional fuels to natural gas.
“Mr. President has given a clear directive for the immediate deployment of approximately 100,000 kits,” Ahmed said. “We are collaborating with a broad coalition of stakeholders to incentivize this process and push these kits into the market without delay. The goal is to convert a significant number of vehicles and tricycles, enabling more citizens to access and utilize gas.”
The Pi-CNG boss confirmed that the rollout is scheduled to begin within the next two to three weeks. He added that conversion centres across the country are expected to become highly active as the programme gains momentum.