By NJORIGE LYNUS

Tinubu Sets 1st October Target for Cheaper Fares as CNG Network Expands to 1,000 Stations

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Government to add 500 CNG refuelling stations to Nigeria’s planned national network.

The expansion will bring the target to 1,000 stations as the administration seeks to use cheaper alternative energy to reduce transportation costs.

Tinubu disclosed the plan after a meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on Thursday.

He said the federal and state governments had agreed that cheaper fuel must eventually produce cheaper transport fares.

From 1st October, the administration expects Nigerians to begin seeing the impact through lower commuting costs.

A joint committee of federal and state governments will oversee measures to achieve that target.

The push comes as Nigeria’s transport costs remain a major concern for households following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Government figures indicate that more than 120,000 vehicles have already switched to CNG. Another 100,000 conversion kits are being processed.

At the same time, authorities are expanding conversion centres and refuelling facilities to make the fuel more accessible.

The Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund is supporting more than 100 gas projects nationwide. The portfolio includes 15 mother stations and 86 daughter stations.

Four projects came on stream in May in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri. A 15-station network in Lagos is among them, while an Abuja facility can reportedly serve as many as 1,000 cars and tricycles and 50 trucks and buses each day.

Tinubu said CNG vehicles could achieve fuel savings of 60 to 80 per cent compared with petrol-powered vehicles.

However, infrastructure expansion alone may not guarantee cheaper fares. Operators must pass a meaningful share of the savings to passengers, while governments must create conditions that make CNG readily available.

The president has therefore placed responsibility on all levels of government to ensure that the promised savings reach commuters.

The success of the policy will ultimately be measured not by the number of CNG stations built, but by whether Nigerians actually spend less to move around the country.

For millions of commuters, 1st October will provide an early test of whether the CNG transition can deliver the transport relief promised by the Federal Government.