The federal government has launched the much-awaited auto Compressed Natural Gas Daughter Station in Kubwa, Abuja, as part of measures to accelerate the drive to energy security in Nigeria.
The facility, a product of joint efforts between the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Portland Gas Limited, has a CNG Conversion Centre, Training Centre, and CNG Gas Refill Station and is part of the president’s ongoing commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The launch will help drive the country on a path of diversification for a sustainable and industrially vibrant economy, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Launching the facility on Wednesday in Abuja, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudden Abbas, who was represented by Alexander Mascot, a member of parliament representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, said the launch will move the nation “towards clean, affordable and more secure energy for Nigerians.”
He said, “Energy is like blood to Nigeria; it fuels life, productivity, and growth, and without it, economies slow, industries falter, and households suffer.”
He added that the CNG policy introduced by the Tinubu administration will ease transport and logistics challenges faced by millions of Nigerians, even as he commended NASENI for this effort to make life easy for the Nigerian people by making gas “cheaper for consumers and abundant for the nation”.
“We are on the path to convert millions of vehicles to CNG. As a nation, we are also transitioning from fossil fuel to CNG, and Nigeria has the potential, with its proven gas reserve, to lead Africa in the sector.
“The Presidential CNG initiative is not just another policy announcement but an economic and environmental necessity. I call on the transport union, private investors, training institutions and the Nigerian public to embrace the transition. The shift will not happen overnight, but every conversion, every trained technician brings us closer. We must align in purpose and action,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the facility’s launch exemplifies how the private sector plays a vital role in driving economic growth. He stressed that the government’s role is to serve as a catalyst, working with the private sector to develop meaningful results for the Nigerian people using capital and expertise.
Represented by Olu A. Verheijen, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Energy Growth, Gbajabiamilla said, “The progress we see today, including this auto gas infrastructure, has been made possible by Nigeria’s gas policies fully aligned with the Renewed Hope agenda.”
“Gas will continue to be central to our industrial ambition. Our strategy is to unlock the vast potential of Nigeria’s gas resources to power mass transportation, electrification, and clean cooking. We are tackling the challenges of gas supply head-on to ensure gas availability to transform the hopes and aspirations of millions of Nigerians.”
In his remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the move became necessary to cut Nigerian drivers’ daily fuel spending, which he put at 40%. He added that it has become incumbent on the country to work towards at least cutting the daily spending by half while reducing harmful emissions and extending the life of our engines.
“That is not just a vision. It is the reality we are working towards, and this NASENI–Portland Daughter Station here in Kubwa is designed to help achieve exactly that.
“Under my leadership at NASENI, our mission has been simple: turn technology into impact. That means building partnerships, like this one with Portland Gas Limited, that combine technical expertise, private-sector efficiency, and national commitment.
“Our work on CNG is a clear example. Last year, we commissioned our flagship CNG Conversion, Filling, and Training Centre in Utako, proving what is possible when innovation meets determination. Today, we are expanding that vision. With the capacity to convert up to 20 vehicles daily, this daughter station will make CNG more accessible, affordable, and convenient for everyday Nigerians,” he said.
The NASENI boss added that the plan is to replicate these facilities across all 36 states and the FCT, making it possible to convert every vehicle in Nigeria to CNG in the coming years.
The CEO of Portland Gas Limited, Folajimi Mohammed, said the facility is a “testament of collaboration, a vision of the Nigeria, where our roads will be filled with cleaner energy, where transport operators enjoy lower cost of fuelling, where the environment is cleaner and where the policy of sustainable growth is not just an aspiration but a reality.
“It is a bold declaration that Nigeria is ready, capable and determined to lead a cleaner energy future.”
