By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The House of Representatives, has beamed its searchlight into the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) policy of the federal government with the sole purpose of carrying out a thorough examination of all issues in connection with the policy.
Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on the Implementation of the CNG Policy, Jaha Ahmadu Usman, disclosed this at the inaugural session of the probe panel that the investigation is directed towards a constructive evaluation of the implementation of the policy.
Usman argued that the core objective of the probe is to find out the safety, viability as well as sustainability of the CNG policy in the country, the utilisation of the staggering N100 billion allocated and ascertain the veracity of the claim of N760 billion private investment in the scheme.
He said that the investigation would also ascertain the spread of the CNG conversion centers, and the existing framework to ensure the safety of installations and guard against substandard or fake conversions.
According to him the key questions the probe seeks to answer borders on the “safety, viability and sustainability of the CNG Policy in Nigeria; Whether CNG Centres are equitably established across the country to give all Nigerians a sense of belonging or not; Does the nation’s policy on CNG meets global best practices?
“What has been the actual status of implementation of the Pi-CNG since its launch? How has the N100 billion allocation from the N500 billion palliative fund been managed and deployed? What is the scale and credibility of the N760 billion private investment claim?”
Recall that President Bola Tinubu, who announced the end of the fuel subsidy regime, in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, set up the Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGi) to cushion the economic effects of the subsidy removal on citizens.
There have been concerns about the limited number of CNG conversion centers in the country. Consequently, the House on May 25, 2025 adopted a motion calling for the establishment of more CNG Conversion Centers across the country.
While calling on stakeholders to cooperate with the panel to achieve its objectives, Usman assured that the parliament is committed to ensuring that its findings provide a roadmap that will adequately guide the implementation of the CNG policy.
“While this policy was envisioned as a bold, transformative step toward energy transition and cost efficiency for citizens, especially low-income and commercial vehicle users, the realities on the ground have raised serious questions and concerns about its implementation, accessibility, safety, and sustainability.
“The Nigerian public deserves answers, not abstractions. We are committed to submitting a comprehensive report to the. House that reflects both the gaps and the opportunities that this initiative presents.
“As a legislature, we are not here to obstruct or politicize the progress being made in the implementation of the Nation’s CNG Policy by the Presidential Initiative. Our intent is to ensure that public policy works for the Nigerian people – efficiently, equitably, and sustainably. “
