Nigeria’s compressed natural gas (CNG) program has expanded vehicle conversions, but high installation bills and a prolonged shortage at one Minna station show that adoption still depends on costs and local fuel access.
President Bola Tinubu approved the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative in August 2023, with initial targets of more than 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 conversion kits. The State House said Sept. 19 that more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted. It also reported over 400 certified vehicle-conversion centers and more than 90 CNG refueling stations across Nigeria. In March 2026, the State House said Tinubu had directed officials to ease the cost of kits, develop financing arrangements and expand mobile refueling as permanent infrastructure grows.
Motorists protested at a Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Mega Station on Minna’s Western Bypass on Saturday, Oct. 24, after about three months without CNG, TVC News reported. The outlet said drivers blamed a faulty component in the dispenser and reported no alternative CNG facility in the state capital.
BusinessDay reported conversion costs from ₦650,000 to ₦2.5 million, depending on the vehicle, kit and installer. It cited a ₦700,000 conversion for one mini-shuttle in Ibadan. The outlet also reported CNG prices of ₦380 per standard cubic meter (SCM) for cars and buses and ₦450 per SCM for heavy trucks, compared with about ₦1,355 per liter for petrol at NNPC stations in Lagos.
Adesare Adegbagi, a former Uber driver, told BusinessDay that converting his Honda Odyssey cost ₦1.68 million through an installment arrangement, above an initial ₦1.2 million quote. He said some similar journeys cost him about ₦20,000 in petrol before the switch and ₦3,000 to ₦5,000 in CNG afterward. He also reported spending more on spark plugs, ignition coils and engine repairs.
Sola Abolade, an after-sales automotive expert, told BusinessDay motorists should weigh the full cost of owning a converted vehicle and whether it suits CNG operations. Anne Obode, team lead at Evrytn CNG, told the outlet that more investment and refueling stations are needed to serve current and future demand.
NNPC said its retail sales discount would continue through Oct. 31, while noting that the offer does not establish a uniform pump price nationwide.
