Nigeria now has 106 operational compressed natural gas refuelling stations after the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles inaugurated a new facility in Abuja on Friday.
The Executive Chairman of the Pi-CNG & EV secretariat, Ismaeel Ahmed, said another 170 stations are under development or awaiting licences from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. Private sector funding mobilised for the sub-sector has reached $2.6 billion.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the deployment of 2,000 additional refuelling units in two phases 1,500 ordered in February and 500 in August with the facilities expected to come on stream between this year and early next year.
Ahmed described the Abuja station, developed with Rolling Energy, as evidence that the CNG market has moved beyond the proof-of-concept stage. “This is almost our 106th station across the country in less than two years. This is not beginning any longer. The market has been proven, and investors are trooping in,” he said.
The government is prioritising commercial transport routes and high-traffic corridors to widen access. Ahmed said CNG-powered buses have cut transport fares by 30 to 40 per cent on routes where they operate. On the Kano-Katsina corridor, passengers who previously paid between N3,000 and N4,000 now pay about N1,500. He acknowledged that the number of such buses remains inadequate and said efforts to increase deployment are continuing.
The new Abuja station occupies a former abandoned fuel facility provided by the State House. Permanent Secretary Temitope Fashedemi said the State House made the site available at no cost to government, while Rolling Energy handled renovation and operations. The facility will dispense CNG and offer vehicle conversion services. About 10 recently acquired State House vehicles are already hybrid models capable of running on CNG, and some shuttle buses within the Presidential Villa also use the fuel. State House workers are expected to begin converting eligible personal vehicles in the coming weeks.
Fashedemi said the station provided free CNG to motorists in surrounding communities during its testing phase and urged more private investors to enter the market. “The State House hasn’t spent any naira in this space, but we made this place available for this purpose,” he said.
Rolling Energy Chief Executive Officer Mubarak Danbatta said the integrated refuelling unit combines dispenser and compressor systems with double-nozzle dispensers that allow vehicles to refuel from both sides. The station can serve about 150 vehicles daily, depending on cylinder size and pressure, while its conversion centre is projected to handle 12 vehicles a day.
A story of courage, wonder, and the transformative power of self-belief; perfect for readers aged 10+ who love adventure. To place order: +234 806 130 3237 | +234 803 582 0870 OR Tap the link to grab a copy:https://www.zeekapublish.com/product/the-magical-life-of-anna
