By Abbas Nazil
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in partnership with Portland Gas Limited has commissioned a new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) hub along Kubwa Expressway in Abuja, a development hailed as a major step toward providing cleaner, cheaper and more sustainable energy for Nigerians.
The new facility, which includes a CNG conversion centre, a gas refill station and a training academy, is the second such hub in the Federal Capital Territory following the flagship station in Utako.
The project was unveiled in the presence of top government officials, legislators, industry stakeholders and investors who described it as an important part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda for affordable energy and transport solutions.
NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the vision is to make CNG an everyday reality for Nigerians.
He explained that the average driver spends over 40 percent of daily earnings on fuel, one of the highest costs globally, and that adopting CNG could reduce this burden by half while also cutting emissions and prolonging engine life.
The Kubwa hub has the capacity to convert up to 20 vehicles daily from petrol or diesel to CNG, backed by trained manpower and supporting infrastructure.
Halilu said NASENI is not only building facilities but also empowering people, having trained over 300 Nigerian engineers across all regions in CNG conversion, auto maintenance and clean energy technologies within the past year.
He said the plan is to replicate CNG stations in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to make the energy option more accessible, affordable and convenient.
The launch comes in the aftermath of Nigeria’s removal of fuel subsidies on May 29, 2023, a policy that economists supported but which led to immediate increases in fuel prices and transport fares, straining households.
Before the removal, Nigeria had already spent ₦5.5 trillion on subsidies within five months despite their ban under the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, a drain on national resources.
Programme Director of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, Michael Oluwagbemi, described the old subsidy system as “importing poverty and exporting jobs” and stressed that CNG represents using domestic resources to strengthen the local economy.
Nigeria has an estimated 210 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, one-third of Africa’s reserves, making CNG a cost-saving and cleaner alternative.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, urged Nigerians to embrace the transition, noting that it will take time but that every new conversion and trained technician moves the country forward.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, represented by Energy Adviser Olu Verheijen, said the NASENI–Portland partnership shows how the private sector drives economic growth, while the government acts as a catalyst.
Industry leaders including the Virtual Gas Infrastructure Association, the National Automotive Design and Development Council and Portland Gas Limited commended the project as a turning point for Nigeria’s auto gas sector.
They stressed that making CNG affordable, reliable and widely available will not only transform transport but also power industries and households, boosting economic resilience.
Halilu concluded that the ambition is for every Nigerian state to have CNG facilities in the near future, creating ripple effects from lower transport costs to cleaner urban air, with Nigeria serving as a model for African peers in energy transition.
