The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PiCNG) and Electric Vehicles has disclosed that more than 100,000 vehicles and over 4,600 tricycles across Nigeria are now operating on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative or complementary fuel.
The Chief Compliance Officer of PiCNG, Zayyanu Tambari, made this known on Sunday evening in Abuja while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Tambari recalled that as of 2023, Nigeria had only about 11,000 CNG-converted vehicles, noting that the initiative is targeting the conversion or deployment of one million CNG-powered vehicles by 2027.
“Currently, there are more than 100,000 cars using CNG on Nigerian roads. Private sector companies and fleet operators, especially those involved in long-haul transportation, are increasingly refitting their vehicles to run on CNG,” he said.
According to him, more than 11,000 Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs), including haulage trucks, have been assembled, with over 4,000 belonging to the Dangote Group. He added that more than 4,600 CNG-powered tricycles and 510 CNG/AGO/PMS hybrid buses have also been deployed nationwide.
Tambari explained that the presidential mandate is to ensure that at least one million vehicles are using CNG by 2027, either through conversion, factory fitting, local manufacturing, or importation.
He further stated that while only 11 states had CNG infrastructure at the programme’s inauguration, over 23 states now have CNG conversion centres and related infrastructure, with a total of 379 conversion centres currently operating across the country.
“By the end of 2026, we will have taken the CNG footprint to every state, if not every senatorial district in Nigeria,” he said.
Tambari noted that Nigeria had just 20 CNG refilling facilities in 2023, but now boasts 58 refilling stations and 21 CNG mother stations, alongside the training of more than 6,300 technicians.
He revealed that the initiative has attracted over 2 billion dollars in investments so far and is targeting 5 billion dollars in investments by 2027, driven by growing private sector interest in the CNG ecosystem.
Tambari recalled that President Bola Tinubu unveiled the PiCNG programme in 2023 as a key part of Nigeria’s energy mix, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding CNG stations and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to promote affordable and sustainable mobility.
“But if you look at what we have achieved so far, we are growing geometrically and hopefully exponentially. By 2027, we will exceed this number,” he said.
