Arewa Youth Circle has petitioned the federal government, expressing deep concern over what it described as the “colossal relegation” of Northern Nigeria in the rollout and implementation of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative.
In the petition signed by its coordinator, Hassan Bilyamin Jambil, the group accused the chairman of the Presidential CNG Committee, Mr. Zacch Adedeji and other committee members of favoring the South West and other southern parts in the distribution of CNG conversion and refilling centers.
Launched over a year ago by President Bola Tinubu to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal, the CNG Initiative has seen rapid expansion in southern states such as Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and Edo.
According to the petition, Lagos alone has 68 conversion centers, Oyo has 18 while the entire North East region has none.
“The North West region is said to have only one participating state, Kaduna while Kano, with a population exceeding 16 million, has been completely sidelined,” the petition stated.
The Arewa Youth Circle backed its claims with data from the official website of the initiative (www.pci.gov.ng), providing a detailed analysis that highlights glaring regional disparities.
The group called for an immediate investigation and urgent intervention by the federal government and relevant stakeholders to correct the imbalance and ensure fair access to the programme’s benefits across all regions.
“It is disheartening that a programme meant to bring relief to Nigerians is becoming a symbol of inequality. This imbalance not only defeats the core purpose of the initiative but also raises serious questions about regional equity and inclusive governance,” Jambil added.
The Arewa Youth Circle also demanded swift action, including the establishment of CNG conversion and refilling centers in underserved northern states. It also urged the programme’s leadership to respond with transparency and concrete corrective steps.
“Let them prove us wrong not with empty promises, but through tangible steps toward fairness and equity,” the group said.
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