Mr Mike Osatuyi, former National Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says the Federal Government’s Presidential Compressed Natural Gas
By Yunus Yusuf
Mr Mike Osatuyi, former National Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says the Federal Government’s Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative has stalled due to inadequate infrastructure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that it is nearly two years after launch of the initiative.
Osatuyi, in an interview with NAN on Wednesday in Lagos, noted that the persistent infrastructure gaps had led to growing queues at CNG stations in cities like Lagos and Abuja.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to introducing CNG as an alternative fuel source, describing it as a patriotic move.
Osatuyi noted that if similar efforts had been implemented 20 years ago, Nigeria’s petrol consumption could have been cut by up to 50 per cent.
Highlighting CNG’s benefits to include economic viability, environmental sustainability, reduced air pollution, lower transportation costs, and improved safety.
He acknowledged the appointment of a Minister of Gas and the creation of the Presidential Initiative on CNG (Pi-CNG), chaired by Mr Zacch Adedeji, who also heads the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Despite these steps, Osatuyi criticised the slow pace of implementation of the initiative.
He said plans to introduce 200,000 CNG-powered buses and tricycles have been undermined by the limited availability of conversion centres and refuelling stations.
“The current budgetary allocation does not reflect the urgency of the transition, especially considering the high cost of vehicle conversion and the growing number of Nigerians making the switch,” he said.
He also cautioned against a top-down approach, urging the Pi-CNG Committee to engage more stakeholders across the oil and gas sector to avoid what he described as a “monopoly of knowledge.”
According to Osatuyi, the insufficient number of operational CNG stations has led to long queues and delays reminiscent of past fuel scarcity crises.
He cited specific hotspots—such as Zuba-Kubwa Road and Abuja Airport Road in the capital, as well as Ibafon on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Ibadan Tollgate—where vehicles endure hours-long waits, with trucks often stranded for days.
He described the situation as a “national embarrassment,” given the initiative’s original promise to reduce fuel costs and enhance energy security.
A longstanding advocate for deregulation and alternative fuels, Osatuyi called on the President who also serves as the Minister of Petroleum Resources—to take direct action.
As a solution, he proposed allowing existing IPMAN-operated filling stations to offer both CNG and conventional fuels, thereby bypassing the need to construct entirely new stations.
This, he argued, would fast-track deployment and align Nigeria with global CNG leaders such as China, Iran, India, and Pakistan.
Osatuyi concluded that for the CNG initiative to succeed, it must be backed by coherent policies, strategic investment in infrastructure, and broad-based industry collaboration—all crucial for long-term savings and national energy resilience. (NAN)(www.nannews.com)