The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) has confirmed that Nigeria will receive its first batch of 500 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refuelling stations by the end of October, with a second order of 500 units to follow, bringing total procurement to 1,000 stations nationwide.
Ismael Ahmed, Executive Chairman of PCNGI, made the announcement, stating that the initial order has already been placed and delivery is expected before October ends. After that, the government will place a second order for another 500 stations, according to Punch reports.
Deployment Strategy and Location Assessment
Ahmed clarified that stations cannot be installed immediately upon arrival, as each requires construction, transportation, and connection before becoming operational. The government is currently profiling locations across Nigeria to identify where demand for CNG is greatest and where additional infrastructure is most needed.
Deployment decisions will be guided by economic realities rather than political considerations, including vehicle volume and traffic levels in a given area. Ahmed said: "It is not a political decision; it is an economic decision. So you can't just say, 'Go and put it in this village when there are no cars there.' So you have to check the traffic, the cars; these are things to be taken into consideration."
Cities being assessed for deployment include Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Zamfara, Borno, Enugu, Anambra and Lafia.
Abuja Leads in Operational CNG Stations
Ahmed disclosed that Abuja currently has the highest concentration of CNG stations in the country, with 26 operational outlets. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited runs about four of those, while Nipco operates roughly three.
Despite that lead, he acknowledged that securing land remains a significant obstacle to further expansion within the Federal Capital Territory. He said: "The problem with Abuja is the land that will accommodate the station. So many people are interested in opening gas stations, but getting the land is a problem."
The latest order builds on 500 stations that were previously commissioned through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund and follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu for an additional 500 CNG refuelling points to be rolled out across the country.
Broader CNG Expansion Efforts
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria has licensed 81 companies to retail compressed natural gas, up from roughly four previously, as the federal government pushes to broaden access to the fuel alternative across the country. CNG is currently priced at N380 per standard cubic metre (SCM) for cars and passenger buses, and N450 per SCM for heavy-duty vehicles and lorries.
Investment in filling stations, mobile refuelling units, and gas production facilities continues as part of the federal government's push to expand CNG infrastructure nationwide.
