State Governors’ CNG Commitment Validates Tinubu’s Push For Cheaper Transportation -TDF
By Sunday Etuka
The Democratic Front (TDF) has commended the 36 state Governors for what it described as a spontaneous buy-in into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s long-standing commitment to promoting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a sustainable alternative for cheaper transportation in Nigeria.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group said the Governors’ recent resolution to invest in CNG infrastructure offers the clearest insight yet into the states’ readiness to collaborate with the federal government in bringing down transportation costs.
The group recalled that President Tinubu launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) in August 2023, shortly after the removal of the petroleum subsidy, as a palliative measure to cushion the effect of rising energy and transportation costs on Nigerians.
It noted that despite the challenges of building CNG infrastructure in a country like Nigeria, the President’s efforts have resulted in the construction of 90 certified CNG filling stations, the establishment of over 450 conversion centres across 23 states, and the conversion of more than 120,000 vehicles, alongside an additional 100,000 kits currently in use.
According to the statement, many commercial transporters in cities such as Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Enugu have shifted from petrol to CNG, while a significant number of heavy-duty interstate transporters that previously relied on diesel have also adopted CNG as a cheaper alternative.
TDF described this as evidence that the President’s push for alternative energy sources has triggered a positive transformation in the transportation sector.
The group noted that although CNG penetration remains slow nationwide, it believes the Governors’ resolution to invest massively in CNG infrastructure across their states will accelerate the shift away from petrol.
TDF further argued that the Governors’ decision validates President Tinubu’s position that the solution to high transportation costs lies not in reintroducing a petroleum subsidy regime, an option it said was wrongly advocated by ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, but in the accelerated development of cheaper energy alternatives such as CNG and electric vehicles.
The group also welcomed the establishment of an implementation committee to oversee joint federal and state measures aimed at reducing transportation costs, set to begin on October 1.
It said the arrangement would help Nigerians save money on inter- and intra-state transportation, and reduce the cost of moving food items from farms to markets nationwide.
TDF blamed previous administrations’ failure to invest in CNG infrastructure for the initiative’s slow adoption, and urged Nigerians to support President Tinubu’s CNG drive to ensure easier access to affordable and sustainable energy in the near future.
