The Federal Government on Monday announced that the Automobile Compressed Natural Gas (AutoCNG) initiative has attracted over $491 million in investments within the past year.

The Programme Director and CEO of the Presidential CNG Initiative, Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Engr. Oluwagbemi stated that the initiative has created over 9,000 direct jobs and approximately 75,000 indirect jobs.

According to him, “Nigeria’s vehicle conversion capacity from petrol and diesel to bifuel has increased by nearly 3,000 percent. More than 200 new conversion centers have been established—up from just seven when the program began—thanks to private sector participation. This expansion has also directly employed over 3,000 new technicians through the launch of the Conversion Incentive Program.”

He addressed recent safety concerns involving CNG vehicles, particularly an incident in Benin, Edo State, attributing it to sabotage.

“We recognize initial public skepticism about safety. In response, we’ve partnered with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum (Gas) to develop comprehensive monitoring for all gas-powered vehicles. This includes collaboration among four key regulators: SON, NADDC, NMDPRA, and FRSC,” he said.

“Together, we are launching the Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System (NGVMS), which will ensure that only properly converted or factory-approved vehicles are refueled and allowed on the roads, with enforcement by NMDPRA and FRSC.”

He clarified that the safety incident in Benin last year was caused by economic saboteurs involved in the illegal fabrication of CNG cylinders, who have since been arrested.

“With NGVMS in place, such incidents will be prevented, as only certified and accredited vehicles with properly labeled tanks will be refueled. We aim to have NGVMS operational by the end of the year,” Oluwagbemi said.

“We remain committed to ensuring the safety of lives and investments in the sector. This is why we prioritized regulatory standards from the outset in March 2024 and continue working closely with agencies such as SON and NADDC.

“We urge all stakeholders to fully comply with regulatory safety and security requirements.”


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/04/cng-attracts-491m-investment-in-one-year-fg/