Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has met with a delegation from Greenville CNG/LNG, led by its chairman, Eddy van den Broeke, as part of efforts to fast-track the establishment of a $2m Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Hub in Gombe State.
The meeting, held at the Gombe state governor’s lodge in Abuja, was attended by the company’s managing director, Ritu Sahajwalla and the chief executive officer, Mutiu Sommonu.
They held talks to finalise plans for a major energy infrastructure project designed to deliver cleaner, safer and more cost-effective fuel options for both transportation and industrial purposes in Gombe and beyond.
The planned CNG hub will include Liquefied to Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) Refill Stations.
Governor Yahaya confirmed that the state government has already allocated land for the project and approved engineering designs.
“We are committed to leveraging natural gas to make transportation more affordable, reduce environmental pollution and stimulate industrial growth in our region.”
Eddy van den Broeke, noted that one of the biggest challenges in Northern Nigeria has been the absence of gas pipelines, which limits access to affordable clean energy.
The Greenville-led project, he said, will help bridge this gap through trucking of LNG from the South to Gombe, where it will be regasified and distributed as CNG for various uses.
He praised the leadership and vision of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, noting that the strategic location and enabling policies of Gombe make it ideal for such a regional gas hub.
The CNG hub is expected to significantly reduce the cost of transportation by providing cheaper fuel alternatives for vehicles, including public transport systems.
In statement by the governor’s director general on Press Affairs Isma’ila Uba Misilli on Wednesday, plans are already underway to introduce CNG-powered tricycles and other vehicles as part of the State’s evolving transportation master plan.
In addition to public use, CNG conversion centres will be established to help vehicle owners transition from petrol and diesel to natural gas, further boosting energy security and lowering emissions.
According to officials at the meeting, the next phase involves mobilizing equipment and resources to the project site, finalizing technical documentation, and the ground breaking to ensure smooth implementation and adoption.
Recall that a director from Greenville CNG/LNG, Alhaji Yusuf Zaiyana, was recently in Gombe alongside a technical team to inspect and collect drawings as well as approvals for the four hectares of land allocated to the company by Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
According to him, Greenville plans to invest more than $2 million CNG and LCNG projects with mobilisation to site set to commence soon.
Once completed, the CNG hub in Gombe will serve the state, the North-East and parts of the North-West, contributing to job creation, cost reduction and a cleaner environment.
