- Nigeria’s Minister of State for Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, says the government is ready to boost the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in automobiles.
- Ekpo emphasizes the importance of CNG as a future fuel and expressed readiness to collaborate with Innoson and other investors to enhance CNG utilization across Nigeria’s automotive sector.
- Under President Bola Tinubu’s directive to adopt gas as a transition fuel, the Federal Government aims to attract $575 billion in investments in gas infrastructure.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said that the Federal Government is ready to partner with Innoson Vehicle to boost CNG automobile use in Nigeria.
Ekpo said this during a recent tour of the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) plant in Nnewi, Anambra State. During the tour, the minister said Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is the future, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) is willing and ready to support or partner with Innoson Vehicle and other investors in this sector in boosting the utilisation of CNG as fuel for automobiles across Nigeria.
Ekpo was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Nicholas Ella, and other ministry officials. The company’s CEO, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, conducted the visit around the plant. The Minister commended the company’s vision in manufacturing vehicles powered by gas, noting that it was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that gas be adopted as a transition fuel in Nigeria and that more vehicles be converted and fired by CNG across the country.
Status quo on Nigeria’s gas development
The Tinubu administration has taken significant steps to enable gas development in the country. For example, in 2024, the Federal Government established the Governing Council of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), which aims to attract $575bn in investments in the Nigerian gas sector.
During an MDGIF retreat in Ikot Ikpene, Akwa Ibom state, in May 2024, Ekpo said significant progress has been made in developing Nigeria’s gas infrastructure. However, much work remains to be done. He said that a key focus area is promoting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) as alternative fuels for cooking and transportation.
According to him, the initiative aims to drive sustainable growth and improve energy accessibility for all Nigerians. He also noted that efforts must prioritize expanding and enhancing the resilience and efficiency of midstream and downstream infrastructure.
This includes investing in new pipelines and storage facilities and upgrading existing ones to meet increasing demand and ensure reliability.