Nigeria’s push to expand Compressed Natural Gas infrastructure is trailing official 2025 targets, even after attracting more than two billion dollars in private sector commitments.
The Presidential CNG Initiative was launched in 2023 following the removal of petrol subsidies, with plans to establish 500 vehicle-conversion centres and more than 150 retail refuelling outlets nationwide by the end of 2025. The programme was designed to reduce transportation costs and accelerate the shift to domestic gas use.
Data available on the initiative’s portal indicates that more than 300 conversion centres and about 40 stations have been developed since inception. However, there is no clear breakdown of how many were delivered this year, raising concerns about the pace of implementation.
The News Chronicle understands that requests for detailed performance figures have been shuffled between agencies, with officials directing inquiries to different ministries and regulators without providing updated milestones.
As of early 2025, industry estimates indicated there were roughly 50 operational refuelling stations nationwide, leaving a wide gap between projections and actual coverage. Transport operators say limited station availability outside major corridors is slowing adoption, as drivers remain wary of being stranded.
Government allocations running into hundreds of billions of naira have been earmarked to support infrastructure and incentives. Analysts argue that beyond funding announcements, the focus must now shift to measurable infrastructure delivery, transparent reporting and nationwide accessibility if the CNG transition is to meet its cost reduction and energy security goals.
