•We’re suffering, CNG users lament unending crisis
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Commuters and vehicle owners who rely on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in Abuja are groaning under the weight of a growing crisis of gas scarcity. Long queues, inflated black-market prices and mounting frustration now trail a once hailed alternative paraded as the future of clean, affordable energy in Nigeria.
At the the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) CNG filling station in Wuse Zone 1, DailySun noticed an almost endless queue of vehicles of mostly commercial taxis and buses. They sat idle, some leaning against the doors of their cars or pacing in frustration while waiting under the scourging sun and heat for when it would finally be their turn to buy the product.ß
An e-hailing cab driver, Jude Bassey, had waited all day to get the product: “We are suffering. This is the only place we can get gas now and we spend half the day here. Sometimes we sleep in our cars overnight just to buy fuel. It’s not worth it anymore.
“They told us CNG is the future and that it is cheap, clean and available. But now, it is stress and hardship. I’m even considering removing the gas system and going back to petrol because it is really affecting my business. The time I’m supposed to be making money, I spend it at the filling station waiting for gas.”
A journalist who pleaded to remain anonymous said: “I have been using CNG for five months. I converted my car due to the obvious reasons of high cost of petrol. It was no longer sustainable for me as I was spending huge chunk of my salary on petrol considering where I am coming from and I have to be in the office everyday. I just had to look for an alternative so I opted for CNG.
“The CNG is much more cheaper. For instance, I used to spend about N40,000 every work to go to the office and come back. Now I only spend about N8000. Also, recently, I drove from Abuja to Kaduna which is about 175km and I only spent about N5,800 but if it was when I was using petrol, would spend nothing less than N35,000.
“But that is the positive side of it. The negative side of it is that we, the CNG users are suffering. And that is why for the past two weeks, I have not even used CNG. Because the filing centres are very few, that is the first issue and then when you go there, availability is even a problem. As I speak to you now I’m just coming from the NNPC gas station at Zone one. I saw some drivers that have been in the queue since 3am. Some even slept there, up till now no gas.
“For the pass two weeks I have not been able to access CNG. Today, I said let me go and try again yet nothing. Availability is a huge problem. People are sleeping on queues. Some days I have to go out as early as 4am and stay in the queue till past 11am before I get the CNG. The filling stations are not enough compared to the number of people that are converting. The stress is too much. “
Abdulrahman Shehu, a commercial taxi driver, said: “Gwagwalada has a station, yes, but it is barely functional. Most times, there is no gas. And we are losing customers because we can meet up with rush hour for passengers.”
Peace Ojo, a ride-hailing driver residing in Kubwa recounted: “We were excited when they commissioned the Kubwa station. But we have used it maybe three times in the past month. They say no supply, or they are under maintenance. We either join the queues in town queue or park our cars.”
In July 2024, the NNPC commissioned 12 CNG stations in Abuja and Lagos, with six located in Abuja, at Airport Road, Kubwa, Gaduwa, Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Zone 1 and Gwagwalada. However, many of these stations are either non-operational or functioning below capacity, leaving thousands of vehicle owners stranded daily.
According to the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI), over 50,000 vehicles now run on CNG nationwide, up from just 4,000 a year ago. The number is projected to reach 100,000 by the end of 2025. But the infrastructure has not kept pace with demand, especially in the FCT suburbs, where drivers travel long distances just to queue at the only reliable filling station in Wuse.
Chief Executive of PCNGI, Michael Oluwagbemi, said: “The recent surge in demand is a result of the success of government incentives and rising public interest in affordable, cleaner energy. Over 175 new CNG stations are in various stages of development in the country.
“In Abuja, AY Shafa and Femadec are jointly developing 30 daughter stations. NNPC is rolling out 40 more stations under its next expansion phase. The sector has attracted over $500 million in private and public investment and created over 10,000 direct jobs within a year.
“Aside, NNPCL is investing. Additional eight stations to its current stock of 12 are being finished as we speak and another 40 of 100 in Phase 2 of her roll out plan is being finalised. Bovas is launching two sites in Ibadan any moment from now from its eight-station-roll out of ultra modern CNG stations and ecosystem. NIPCO’s eight stations in addition to 23 will be completed within six months.
“Just last week, the Midstream Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, a veritable partner in the process awarded 10 new entries equity investments to develop their various gas projects. Three of them were focused on developing CNG stations.
“This was in addition to four of the six of initial N123 billion investments made last year by MDGIF being directed at the sub-sector. In one year, the CNG sector attracted over $500 million in investments and created over 10,000 direct jobs, 255 new conversion centers that didn’t exist last year and 53 daughter stations exist today as a result of some of those investments.
“Nigeria is making progress with respect to CNG infrastructure but engineering feats take time. It took over 70 years to get addicted to petrol and diesel, it will take more than seven months to be weaned off the addiction.”