By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), Ismael Ahmed, has disclosed that the Federal Government will receive the first batch of 500 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations by the end of October, as part of efforts to expand CNG infrastructure across the country.
Ahmed disclosed this on Saturday, 19 September, 2026, in an interview, explaining that another 500 stations would subsequently be ordered, bringing the total number of stations being procured to 1,000.
He explained that the development followed a directive by President Bola Tinubu in August for the rollout of an additional 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide, alongside 500 stations previously ordered by the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, a move aimed at helping Nigerians benefit from lower transportation costs, particularly for intra-state travel.
“There were already 500 stations that were ordered early, and in October the first batch would come in. In his (Tinubu’s) commitment to the Governors, he said he would order another 500 added to the other 500 already, making it 1,000 in total,” he said.
Ahmed explained that the stations could not be deployed immediately after being ordered because of the various processes involved in establishing them, including construction, transportation, installation and connection.
“Filling stations are not something you order today and get it tomorrow. It has to be built, it has to be brought in, and it has to be installed and connected. The process has begun. The first batch will be at the end of October,” he said.
The PCNGI chairman said the government would prioritise locations with high demand for CNG, disclosing that it was currently profiling the country to determine areas requiring more stations.
“Wherever there is demand, we will take it. For now, the stations are coming in, and we are profiling the whole country. We already have many stations all across the country, but there are places where there is more demand than others, so it is where the demand is that is where we will push it,” he said.
He stressed that the deployment would be guided by economic considerations, including vehicle numbers and traffic volume in a given area, rather than political considerations.
“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,” he said.
According to Ahmed, the government is currently profiling several locations across the country, including Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Zamfara, Borno, Enugu, Anambra and Lafia.
He disclosed that Abuja currently has 26 operational gas stations, the highest number in the country, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) operating about four and Nipco operating about three.
“There are 26 operational gas stations in Abuja. It is the highest in terms of gas stations. NNPC alone has about four, Nipco has about three,” he said.
He, however, identified land availability as a major challenge to establishing additional CNG stations in the Federal Capital Territory.
“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,” he said.
Ahmed disclosed that although gas is available across the country, more stations are still required to improve access to CNG.
“Everywhere there is gas, but we need more stations, and we are working on it,” he said.
President Tinubu had earlier disclosed that the Federal Government was investing in conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure as part of efforts to expand the use of CNG and reduce transport costs, stating that a vehicle running on CNG could spend 60 to 80 per cent less on fuel than one running on petrol, with the government targeting lower transport fares from October 1.
In May, Tinubu had commissioned four CNG infrastructure projects in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri, including a high-capacity CNG daughter booster station in Jahi, Abuja, as part of the Federal Government’s broader push to expand domestic gas utilisation and provide alternatives to petrol.
The State House had explained that the initiative was also designed to reduce transport costs and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to cleaner fuels.
