President Bola Tinubu has ordered the establishment of 500 additional Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refuelling stations across Nigeria as part of renewed efforts to drive down transportation costs and accelerate the country’s transition to cheaper and cleaner energy sources.

The directive, which will raise the number of planned CNG stations under the Presidential CNG Initiative to 1,000, followed the President’s meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on Thursday.

VVCWATCH. learnt that Tinubu said the governors had agreed to take immediate steps within their respective states to reduce transport fares, with CNG-powered vehicles and electric mobility expected to play a central role.

Tinubu said the Federal Government had already committed substantial resources to expanding the infrastructure required to support the energy transition. According to him, more than 120,000 vehicles have so far been converted to CNG nationwide, while over 100,000 additional conversion kits are currently being processed, alongside the expansion of conversion centres and refuelling facilities.

The President also disclosed that the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund was financing more than 100 gas-related projects across the country. The projects include 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations, designed to strengthen the distribution network and make gas-powered transportation more accessible to commuters and commercial transport operators.

Tinubu further noted that four projects had already been commissioned in May across Lagos, Abuja and Owerri. Among them is a 15-station refuelling network in Lagos, while a facility in Abuja has the capacity to serve up to 1,000 cars and tricycles and 50 trucks and buses daily. The latest expansion, the President said, is expected to deepen access to CNG and ultimately translate into lower transportation costs for Nigerians.