President Bola Tinubu’s push for cheaper, gas-powered transportation has struggled to gain the expected momentum, as private sector stakeholders identify infrastructure deficiencies slowing expansion, ARINZE NWAFOR reports
Nigeria’s adoption of compressed natural gas remains far below expectations, despite aggressive government promotion of the initiative following the removal of the fuel subsidy, private sector leaders have warned.
Speaking with The PUNCH, business leaders, mainly under the platform of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said poor infrastructure, weak supply networks, inadequate sensitisation and limited refuelling facilities have prevented the transition from scaling beyond major cities such as Lagos and Abuja.
Their concerns come amid renewed assurances by the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Ismaeel Ahmed, who recently defended the Federal Government’s CNG push during a televised interview, insisting that the programme was already reducing transportation costs, attracting investments and laying the foundation for a nationwide clean mobility ecosystem.
Ahmed described the initiative as one of President Tinubu’s signature economic reforms following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
