Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA) has expressed concern that Northern Nigeria has been sidelined from the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative which presents a significant opportunity to transform Nigeria’s energy landscape and promote environmental sustainability.
The chamber’ president, Hon Aminu Mohammed, said it was unfortunate that Northern stakeholders, particularly indigenous investors and operators, have been sidelined in the process contrary to the constitutional provision of federal character.
At a press conference in Bauchi, Mohammed explained that CNG is part of Nigeria’s broader energy transition plan, aimed at reducing dependency on petrol and diesel by promoting cleaner and more affordable fuels.
Mohammed regretted that the laudable programme was only concentrated in Southern Nigeria thereby leaving the North to lose out on economic opportunities, private sector growth, transportation cost as well as energy security and environmental impact.
He noted that Southern Nigeria benefits from job creation in mechanical conversion, fueling station management, logistics and training, leaving the North without similar investments, with local economies missing out.
He added that entrepreneurs and SMEs in the South gain first-line advantages in CNG-related businesses such as vehicle conversion workshops and fleet services, with the CNG significantly cheaper than petrol or diesel.
The Danmalikin Bauchi added that, “In the North, where long-distance transportation is common and costs are already high, lack of CNG access keeps transport costs high affecting prices of goods, especially food and essentials.”
On energy security and environmental impact, he noted that the North relies more on road transport for goods, so transitioning to cleaner fuels would significantly reduce emissions and without CNG access, the region would continue with high-polluting fuels.
He pointed out that if CNG infrastructure is not equitably distributed, it could reinforce perceptions of regional imbalance in federal projects – undermining national unity and economic equity, while the North has significant potential in transport, agriculture and youth employment.
Mohammed observed that the North is missing out economically, socially and strategically, stressing that the CNG initiative was established to push for inclusion and proposed public-private partnerships to build local capacity around CNG.
He therefore called for an equitable expansion of CNG infrastructure including refueling stations, conversion centres, training hubs and support services across Northern Nigeria to ensure national inclusivity, energy transition fairness and economic development.
“Without CNG access, transporters in the North continue to rely on expensive diesel and petrol, increasing the cost of goods and services. Having the CNG, it will only cost a southerner N3,000 to cover a distance of 150km while it will cost a northerner N40,000 to travel the same distance using petrol,” he stated.
