By Emmanuella Anokam

The State House has partnered with the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) and Rolling Energy Ltd. to promote CNG adoption and reduce transportation costs.

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr Temitope Fashedemi, said this on Friday at the inauguration of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Integrated Refuelling Unit (IRU) Station in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the station, located along Saint George Akume Way, Karu Site, FCT, Abuja is an integrated refuelling unit, with its compressor and dispenser systems incorporated into a single unit.

The facility, which is expected to ease pressure on existing stations also houses a vehicle conversion centre, equipped with two service pits, with the capacity to convert about 12 vehicles daily.

Fashedemi described the initiative as a practical demonstration of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to promoting CNG as a cheaper alternative fuel, leveraging Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources.

He explained that the State House partnered with Pi-CNG & EV and Rolling Energy Ltd. to reactivate an abandoned fuel facility and convert it into a CNG refuelling station.

“The provision of CNG infrastructure should be driven largely by private sector investment rather than government ownership and direct business operations.

“The State House selected the Rolling Energy as the private sector partner because of its experience and capacity, having independently established and operated several CNG refuelling stations,” he said.

He said the State House provided the facility without spending public funds, while Rolling Energy undertook its renovation and installation of the necessary infrastructure.

He disclosed that the State House had acquired about 10 hybrid vehicles, alongside hybrid shuttle buses operating within the Villa, as part of efforts to demonstrate commitment to the presidential initiative.

He added that some State House staff would also have their eligible vehicles converted to CNG-hybrid systems in the coming weeks.

He said Rolling Energy had offered free CNG refuelling to motorists in surrounding communities for more than one week during the testing of the facility.

According to him, the facility will provide additional refuelling access to motorists, ease pressure on existing stations and encourage more private investors to establish similar facilities.

He said Nigeria had wasted substantial quantities of natural gas through decades of flaring, emphasising the need to harness the resource for economic benefits and affordable transportation.

The Executive Chairman, Pi-CNG & EV, Mr Ismaeel Ahmed, said Nigeria had about 106 operational CNG refuelling stations nationwide, with another 170 at different stages of development or awaiting regulatory approvals.

Ahmed said the expansion of CNG infrastructure was ongoing, adding that the country needed to accelerate investments to meet the energy needs of its large population and vehicle fleet.

He disclosed that the President had directed the development of an additional 1,500 CNG stations in February and another 500 in August, with the facilities expected to come on stream between 2026 and early 2027.

He urged more entrepreneurs and private sector operators to invest in CNG infrastructure to accelerate nationwide adoption.

Ahmed said Nigeria was recording impressive growth in CNG and electric vehicle adoption, adding that the major challenge was scaling up infrastructure to ensure wider accessibility.

He said the development of CNG infrastructure was critical to providing Nigerians with alternative fuel options and supporting efforts to reduce transportation costs.

Also speaking, Mr Mubarak Danbatta, Chief Executive Officer, Rolling Energy Ltd., said the company was targeting nearly 15 CNG refuelling and vehicle conversion facilities nationwide by the end of 2026.

He said the company had previously partnered with Pi-CNG & EV on another project in May 2024, adding that discussions were ongoing for further collaborations.

He said the station had double-nozzle dispensers, allowing motorists to refuel from both sides, with a capacity to serve about 150 vehicles daily, depending on cylinder sizes and pressure.

The CEO said Rolling Energy currently operated facilities in Abuja and other locations, with two additional stations expected to be commissioned in Kano and another two in Kaduna.(NAN)

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Edited by Emmanuel Afonne