President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate deployment of 100,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits across Nigeria in a bid to cushion the rising cost of transportation caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict 2026.
The directive was disclosed by the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, Ismaeel Ahmed, after a meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ahmed explained that the federal government is taking proactive steps to reduce the burden on Nigerian commuters as global developments continue to influence fuel prices.
“The President is keenly monitoring global developments and their impact on Nigeria’s energy costs, particularly the effect of the Middle East conflict on fuel prices and transportation,” Ahmed said.
According to him, the conversion kits will be deployed within the next two to three weeks and distributed in partnership with relevant stakeholders across the country.
He noted that the initiative will allow vehicle owners — including commercial tricycle operators — to convert their engines to run on gas, which is significantly cheaper than petrol.
“The kits will enable vehicle owners, including tricycle operators, to convert their engines to run on gas as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs,” he said.
Ahmed further revealed that President Tinubu directed that the expansion of CNG infrastructure should prioritize major transportation corridors, especially in northern Nigeria.
“Mr President specifically directed that infrastructure expansion should focus on key transportation corridors, particularly in the northern part of the country,” Ahmed added.
He disclosed that about 77 CNG refilling stations are currently at different stages of development nationwide.
The government, he said, also plans to create a chain of refueling stations along major routes stretching from Lokoja through Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria, and Kano up to Maiduguri, to support the adoption of gas-powered vehicles across the country.