By Obinna Amaechi
The 2023 necessary and long-overdue removal of subsidy on petroleum products came with some economic shocks which affected a vast majority of Nigerians, necessitating in drastic actions by President Bola Tinubu to further strengthen his Renewed Hope mantra, designed to bring a new wave of relief to our people whose thirst and hunger for good governance has never been higher.
As a pragmatic leader, with reputation for driving innovative solutions to improve governance, he quickly thought it necessary to create a window of opportunity to ensure that the economic discomfort associated with subsidy removal is largely decimated through affordable, clean and accessible energy means. This led to the creation of Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi).
Widely acknowledged for his eye in identifying talents, President Tinubu rightly named Barr. Ismaeel Ahmed, a loud voice in the advocacy for good governance in the country, who had previously served in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet as Senior Special Assistant on National Social Investment Programme between 2018 and 2022.
His appointment late June 2025 as a key member in the Renewed Hope team came with simple and clear mandate — to oversee the operations of this vital component of the Tinubu administration’s palliative intervention programme. He understands that lower transport/fuel costs and access to cleaner fuel alternatives is important for every Nigerian as it will help stabilize the economy.
Apart from improved affordability of transport, Barr. Ahmed is also not ignorant of the fact that this sub-sector of the economy has potentials to generate much desired job opportunities, in terms of training technicians and mechanics in the value chain, boosting local manufacturing/assembly, saving foreign-exchange through reduced fuel import.
As a dexterous administrator with deep knowledge of how to map out policies that directly touch the lives of our people, having managed the social investment project of the previous administration, Barr. Ahmed hit the ground running in tapping into the rich domestic gas resources to bring relief to households, create wealth and support in the campaign for a healthier environment through less emission.
Upon assumption of office, he introduced three key pillars guiding the rollout of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi) which he called the three A’s – acceptability, accessibility and affordability. The acceptability pillar is anchored on deliberate efforts to ensure that trust is built among Nigerians on the safety and efficiency of CNG, eliminating doubts in the minds of the end users on how environmentally friendly it could be as an alternate to fuel. The second is accessibility. His intention here is to expand the availability of CNG refuelling stations and conversion infrastructure across the country, in order to meet the one million target of vehicles converted or CNG-enabled before the end of 2027. Finally, affordability. The helmsman has repeatedly echoed that under his watch, CNG must remain affordable and significantly cheaper than petrol and diesel.
Also, the visionary leadership of the PCNGi is offering a robust support for states to onboard new CNG buses as part of their Intrastate Mass Transit network. This it does through wholesale conversion, retrofitting and guidance to make new purchases. It is also overseeing the deployment of CNG buses through existing Private Mass Transit operators, including new financing programmes for operators through an innovative asset finance programmes. In line with President Tinubu’s vision, PCNGi is also attracting investors and partners with mouth-watering incentives in CNG processing, distribution and utilisation. Its training and technology transfer to support the After-Sales Services and maintenance sub-industry has been very impactful with regards to youth empowerment as thousands of direct and indirect jobs have been created. At the moment, an expanded free training is being considered for members of the Association of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians in automobile sector.
Transport unions across the country making use of buses and tricycles (keke) have also benefitted from millions of Naira worth of CNG kits at no cost, a development that has led to significant reduction in transportation costs and subsequently lowered the prices of foodstuffs across the country. This is what PCNGi under Barr. Ahmed represents.
Also, the investment flow coming into the Nigeria’s CNG value chain has been unprecedented. This is a product of confidence the leadership has driven in a short while. As at October 2025, over $1 billion in private sector investments has been attracted into the system.
In a bid to ensure CNG availability to the public, hundreds of stations are being rolled out nationwide with the support of various partners, while at least 255 new conversion centres and 53 daughter stations are now in full operational condition.
The last five months of a refined, soft-spoken and well-travelled gentleman on the saddle has seen a total turnaround in the PCNGi, leaving the doubting Thomases dumbfounded. It speaks to the massive achievements that will be recorded in the nearest future, in the quest to bring to our doorsteps affordable and efficient energy that will not only remain pocket-friendly, but bring prosperity to our teeming youths. That is the result of putting a square peg in a square hole. Bravo Barr. Ismaeel Ahmed!
