Stakeholders in Nigeria’s energy sector have called for an urgent, coordinated action on infrastructure and fuel accessibility, warning that the country’s ambitious transition to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) will stall without a dramatic expansion of refuelling networks and conversion services.
The appeal was issued at the National CNG Adoption Conference and Strategic Stakeholders’ Meeting held at the Roses Regency Hotel in Wuye, where industry leaders pressed for practical implementation to cushion the severe economic strains triggered by the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Speaking at the summit, the National Chairman of the National Compressed Natural Gas Forum (NCNG-F), Faruk Abdullahi, underscored that the shift to cleaner automotive fuel cannot be driven by the government in isolation.
He called for a robust, multi-sectoral partnership spanning government agencies, organized labor, transport unions, petroleum associations, and private financiers to transform Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves into tangible relief for citizens.
Abdullahi stressed that while the economic and environmental benefits including slashed transportation overheads, job creation, and boosted domestic energy utilization are immense, bridging the execution gap requires more than policy pronouncements.
The focus, he argued, must urgently shift toward establishing widespread refuelling infrastructure, lowering financial barriers for vehicle conversions, and enforcing uncompromising safety standards to build vital public trust.
Echoing these sentiments, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, emphasized the indispensable role of downstream petroleum retailers in expanding the distribution footprint.
Engaging existing fuel retail networks, industry observers note, is critical to ensuring that CNG moves swiftly from urban pilot projects to a nationwide, dependable energy alternative.
As transport operators and households continue to grapple with soaring operational costs, participants at the conference agreed that the ultimate success of Nigeria’s CNG drive hinges on synchronized progress across supply reliability, geographical availability, affordability, and regulatory oversight. For a nation sitting on massive gas wealth, the consensus in Abuja is unequivocal: the blueprint is set, but the race to build the physical architecture must accelerate.
