The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has secured a commitment from the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative to establish additional Compressed Natural Gas filling stations across Kogi State following complaints of acute gas shortages affecting commercial transport operators.
The development comes amid growing concerns by commercial tricycle operators over the scarcity of CNG, which has disrupted transportation activities and increased hardship for operators and commuters across the state.
A statement issued by the senator’s media office late Monday said operators under the Kogi Central Tricycle Network complained that the shortage had led to long queues at the only CNG station serving the area, resulting in lost productive hours and reduced earnings.
The operators said the lone facility could no longer meet the growing demand from commercial riders who had embraced the Federal Government’s clean energy programme.
The group described the situation as a major challenge and called for urgent intervention.
The complaints prompted Akpoti-Uduaghan to engage the leadership of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative in search of a lasting solution.
The senator said she had discussed the matter with the Chairman of the initiative, Ismaeel Ahmed, who assured her that efforts were ongoing to establish additional CNG stations across Kogi State.
“My dear friend, Ismaeel Ahmed, who chairs the Presidential CNG Initiative, has assured me that his office is currently facilitating the establishment of several CNG stations across Kogi State. This will help bridge the supply gap and address the current scarcity,” she stated.
Confirming the development, Ahmed said arrangements were being finalised to expand CNG infrastructure in the state through partnerships with private investors.
He noted that Kogi’s strategic position in Nigeria’s gas value chain and its location along major transportation routes made it a priority destination for investment.
According to him, the presence of the Ajaokuta gas hub and the state’s role as a major transit corridor make it suitable for the expansion of gas distribution infrastructure.
“Kogi State is home to the Ajaokuta gas hub, and because of its strategic location, heavy traffic volume and importance as a major transportation corridor, we will be bringing more gas stations along that route,” Ahmed said.
The Federal Government has continued to promote the adoption of CNG as a cheaper and cleaner alternative to petrol through the Presidential CNG Initiative, launched as part of measures to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal and reduce transportation costs.
Residents and transport operators have welcomed the planned expansion, expressing optimism that additional stations would ease supply challenges and improve access to CNG across the state.