Tinubu expands CNG initiative to include electric vehicles

President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas to include electric vehicles in a new drive to reposition the initiative.

The initiative will now be known as the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PiCNG & EV).

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement signed on Thursday titled, “President Tinubu approves expansion of PiCNG mandate to include electric vehicles.”

It read, “With this approval, PiCNG & EV will lead and coordinate Nigeria’s clean mobility strategy, covering gas-driven vehicles and electric vehicles nationwide.

The initiative will continue to drive the deployment of CNG infrastructure, including Mother and Daughter Stations, Integrated Refuelling Units, CNG vehicles and equipment, and nationwide conversion programmes.”

Onanuga said the expanded mandate will also anchor the development and rollout of electric vehicles, EV charging infrastructure, and related investments across the country.

Consequently, President Tinubu has directed the Executive Chairman of PiCNG & EV to immediately establish a coordinated process for the rapid deployment of vehicle conversion kits nationwide and ensure that such kits are accessible to Nigerians at a cost that is not burdensome.

To achieve this, the initiative will work with CreditCorp Nigeria, financial institutions, and relevant partners to design cost-effective financing structures that make vehicle conversions widely accessible to the public.

The President also directed the accelerated deployment of Mobile Refuelling Units to expand access to CNG while permanent infrastructure continues to scale.

According to the statement, gas remains a competitive and strategic fuel for transportation, leveraging Nigeria’s abundant resources to lower costs, strengthen energy security, and conserve foreign exchange. The inclusion of electric vehicles further strengthens the government’s agenda for affordable, efficient, and environmentally responsible mobility.

The Presidential CNG Initiative was launched in 2023 as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to cushion the impact of petrol subsidy removal and promote cleaner energy alternatives for transportation.

Nigeria has one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, estimated at over 200 trillion cubic feet, making CNG a potentially cheaper alternative to petrol for powering vehicles.

The initiative has been deploying CNG conversion centers and refuelling stations across the country, with plans to convert one million vehicles to run on compressed natural gas.