President Bola Tinubu has directed the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PiCNG) to deploy about 100,000 vehicle conversion kits nationwide.

The directive aims to expand access to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a cheaper, cleaner alternative to petrol.

The executive chairman of PiCNG, Ismael Ahmed, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Mr Ahmed said the president requested an update on the initiative’s progress and on measures to cushion the effects of rising global petroleum prices.

According to him, the president is particularly concerned about the impact of tensions in the Middle East on fuel costs.

“The president wanted to know what we are doing at PiCNG to scale up the availability of gas across the country,” he said. “He has given a direct mandate that we should immediately deploy about 100,000 conversion kits.”

Mr Ahmed said the kits would enable vehicle owners and tricycle operators to convert their engines from petrol to CNG.

He added that the deployment would begin within the next two to three weeks.

“The conversion centres across the country will be bustling with activities as we begin large-scale vehicle conversions,” he said.

Mr Ahmed said the initiative was also accelerating infrastructure development to support gas- and electric-mobility.

According to him, the government is working to expand refuelling stations and charging infrastructure across key transport corridors.

“We currently have about 77 refuelling stations at various stages of development across the country,” Mr Ahmed said.

He noted that Kano already had two liquefied compressed natural gas stations, with additional daughter stations under development.

Mr Ahmed said the infrastructure rollout would extend along major routes from Lokoja to Abuja, Kaduna, and Zaria, and further to Kano and Maiduguri.

He added that the initiative was also promoting electric mobility as part of the broader clean energy transition.

According to him, the government is partnering with local and international manufacturers to encourage the assembly of electric vehicles in Nigeria.

Mr Ahmed said the initiative was also collaborating with the Rural Electrification Agency to deploy solar-powered charging stations in off-grid locations.

He said the president expects the initiative to deliver quick results that will reduce transportation costs and improve mobility for Nigerians.

(NAN)