PETROL PRICE HIKE: Tinubu Orders Deployment Of 100,000 CNG Kits As Transport Fares Surge

|  Directive issued to mitigate effects of high fuel prices – Presidential committee

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate deployment of about 100,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits nationwide as part of measures to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on Nigerian commuters.

The directive followed concerns over the surge in petrol and diesel prices linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its ripple effects on global energy markets.

Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), Ismaeel Ahmed, disclosed the development to State House correspondents on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with the President.

Ahmed said Tinubu is closely monitoring global developments and their implications for Nigeria’s energy costs, particularly the effect of the Middle East crisis on transportation expenses.

According to him, the President directed the initiative to accelerate the rollout of CNG infrastructure and alternative mobility solutions across the country in order to provide Nigerians with cheaper transportation options.

“The President, as usual, is always trying to get information on what is going on, especially with the war in the Middle East and the rising cost of petrol and diesel.

“He wanted to know what we are doing at Pi-CNG and EV to scale up the availability of gas and CNG everywhere in the country so that people would have less cost of transportation,” he said.

Ahmed explained that the government plans to deploy about 100,000 CNG conversion kits within the next two to three weeks to enable vehicle owners to convert their engines to run on gas.

The kits will be distributed in collaboration with several stakeholders and will target commercial transport operators, including tricycle and vehicle owners.

“So we have about 100,000 kits that we’re going to deploy in the next two to three weeks. The conversion centres will all be bustling with a lot of activities,” he said.

 

Ahmed added that the initiative will also fast-track the development of infrastructure to support CNG refuelling and electric vehicle charging across the country.

He said the President specifically directed that infrastructure expansion should focus on major transport corridors, particularly within the northern part of the country.

“We must be able to fast-track the infrastructure in bringing gas, CNG and electric mobility charging infrastructure to every part of the country, especially within the Northern Corridor,” Ahmed said.

He noted that about 77 CNG refilling stations are currently at various stages of development nationwide.

Ahmed cited Kano as an example where two Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas stations are already operational, while several additional facilities are under construction.

According to him, the government plans to establish a network of refuelling stations along key transport routes from Lokoja through Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano up to Maiduguri.

“These are all places that we are going to litter with a lot of refuelling units,” he said.

 

Ahmed further disclosed that the Pi-CNG initiative is working with local and international manufacturers to support vehicle conversion and the local assembly of CNG-powered and electric vehicles.

He said several manufacturers had already indicated interest in establishing assembly lines in Nigeria, a move expected to create jobs and strengthen the country’s automotive sector.

He added that the initiative is also collaborating with the Rural Electrification Agency to deploy solar-powered charging stations to support electric vehicles, especially in off-grid locations.

Ahmed noted that Nigerians were already importing electric vehicles and stressed that the government’s priority is to ensure adequate infrastructure to support their usage.

“People are already bringing in their electric vehicles regardless. What we have to do now is to ensure that there is enough infrastructure for them to work with, especially off-grid,” he said.

He added that the President expects rapid implementation of the programme to ensure Nigerians can quickly access cheaper and more sustainable transport alternatives.

 

Fuel Queues, Transport Fare Hike in States

…commuters, car owners recount experiences

The raging war between the United States and Israel against Iran has continued to take its toll on Nigeria, as fuel queues have emerged in various states and the price of petrol has recorded further spikes.

Checks by LEADERSHIP showed that fuel prices range from N1,060 to N1,400 per litre across the states.

There was also an increase in transport fares, prompting passengers to walk long distances and car owners to lament the hardship.

The ongoing war involving Iran has caused oil prices to rise because of disruptions to crude supply and shipping routes.

The development has contributed to volatility in international crude markets and pushed up the cost of refined petroleum products in several countries, including Nigeria, which relies heavily on imported fuel despite being a major crude oil producer.

 

Kaduna, Makurdi

In Kaduna, petrol prices have skyrocketed across some filling stations within the metropolis as a litre of fuel sells between N1,345 and N1,350 against N1,250 to N1,260 sold on Monday.

It was observed that most filling stations may still increase the price of fuel.

Our correspondent who visited Command Junction and Television Garage motor parks in Kaduna reports that a passenger paid between N9,000 and N10,000 to Abuja against N7,500 or N8,000 previously.

A passenger, Sani Adamu, lamented the transport fare hike and called on the government to intervene.

“Very soon nobody can travel again because of the high transport fares. Things were bad before and it is becoming worse now. I pray government intervenes before things get out of hand in the coming days,” he said.

Also in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, a litre is sold between N1,330 and N1,350.

At Benue Links’ park, a state government-owned transport company, a passenger to Kaduna paid N15,000 against N12,500.

LEADERSHIP observed that many transport companies and motor parks recorded a low turnout of passengers following the sharp increase in transport fares.

 

Ibadan

Following the hike in fuel prices in Oyo State, particularly in Ibadan, motorists are experiencing long queues at the few filling stations that are operational.

Many independent stations were either closed or not dispensing fuel, leading to panic buying.

As a result, the hike has caused a ripple effect on transportation costs.

Commuters in Ibadan are facing higher fares, such as trips from Molete to Odo-Ona increasing to N600 from N500, and New Garage to Iwo Road jumping to N800.

There has been a sharp increase, with petrol selling between N1,200 and N1,300 per litre.

This rapid surge follows an earlier rise to N1,020–N1,100 per litre on March 7, marking a significant increase from previous prices of around ₦925.

The pump price has jumped significantly, with some reports in Ibadan reaching N1,300 per litre. Areas like Ogbomoso and Oke-Ogun are reportedly seeing slightly lower prices, but the trend remains high, driven by increased landing costs for marketers.

This follows reports of a hike in the Dangote Refinery’s gantry price to N1,175 per litre.

 

Kebbi

In Kebbi State, the situation was severe, as the hike has affected daily livelihood, particularly transportation.

Our correspondent gathered that due to the increase in fuel prices, transportation has become unbearable for the common man.

A check by LEADERSHIP at some fuel stations in the Birnin Kebbi metropolis on Tuesday evening discovered that a litre that was sold for N850 or N900 before the US-Iran war now sells for N1,450 and N1,500.

This necessitated commercial motorcyclists and motorists to increase transport fares. Previously, motorcyclists charged N200 for a normal trip, but this has now increased to between N400 and N500 depending on the distance.

Abubakar Umar of Birnin Kebbi metropolis, who spoke to LEADERSHIP, lamented that the situation is terrible and called on both the federal and state governments to do something urgently to address the problem.

 

Ado-Ekiti

There was a sharp increase in the price of fuel in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

The majority of fuel stations across the state are selling the commodity between N1,060 and N1,250 per litre.

While major marketers are selling to motorists and other commuters at between N1,060 and N1,100 per litre, independent marketers sell at N1,250 per litre and above.

Though there are no queues at the stations selling the product to users, some stations, however, are not selling at all.

Most commercial motorcyclists now charge between N400 and N500 for the shortest drop, which used to go for N300 before the latest fuel hike.

There were claims that transport fare from Ado-Ekiti to Lagos will now go for between N12,000 and N13,000 against N11,000, while Ado-Ekiti to Ibadan is now N8,000, up from N6,000.

 

Calabar

PMS in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, skyrocketed, with the price being marketed for about ₦1,350 per litre at many petrol stations within the state capital.

The price increase has brought economic hardship to residents of the city, compared with the previous pump price which stood between ₦845 and ₦850 per litre, raising concerns among motorists and commuters who depend on petrol for transportation and daily activities.

Although the product was sold at Ekoson Petrol Station, Mayne Avenue, Calabar, at N1,250 to motorists, the situation has triggered economic hardship within the city.

Following the price shake-up and the economic hardship inflicted on Calabar residents, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have threatened to shut down operations at the Calabar Depot due to the poor condition of the Calabar–Itu Highway.

The unions have given the government a 21-day ultimatum to fix the road, which is a major route for transporting petroleum products into Cross River and neighbouring states.

The threat comes amid rising fuel prices, but currently there are no long queues at most filling stations in Calabar, and several outlets are still dispensing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

However, residents are worried that the threat by IPMAN and NUPENG could worsen the situation if the government fails to act.

So far, there are no queues at most petrol stations in Calabar metropolis, as many outlets are still dispensing the product to motorists and artisans who need it for their small-scale businesses.

However, residents of the city are now in panic that the threat by IPMAN and NUPENG to halt operations could worsen the situation if the government fails to urgently address the concerns raised by the unions.

 

Minna

In Niger State, PMS sold for N1,261 at NNPC fuel stations and N1,320 at other stations, even as fares increased and car owners abandoned their cars for public transport.

LEADERSHIP findings revealed that there was over a 30 per cent increase in the price yesterday compared to N1,090, which it sold for as of Monday night.

A check at the NNPC fuel station along the Western Bypass by the State Secretariat showed that a litre goes for N1,261, unlike N1,320 being sold at nearby Danmarna, Ashafa and Total fuel stations.

Also at Matrix Fuel Station by the City Gate in Minna, the price is the same, while there were no queues at the station.

A commercial bus driver who plies the Minna–Zuba road, Salihu Aliyu, said they had no option but to increase their transport fare from N4,000 to around N6,500 in order to remain profitable in business.

Some passengers also decried the sharp increase in transport fares and the reduced number of vehicles available at the parks.

“Many of the drivers have parked their cars; they said they could not ply the roads even at the price of N6,500 to Zuba from here,” a passenger, Ismail Ayuba, told LEADERSHIP.

It was also observed that most car owners now prefer taking the popular keke NAPEP and commercial motorcycles instead of their cars for intra-city movement, attributing it to the high cost of PMS.

 

Port Harcourt

Following the hike in the pump price of petroleum products, there has been over a 100 per cent increase in inter- and intra-state transportation fares in Rivers State.

The development has forced many commuters to resort to trekking long distances despite the harsh weather conditions.

LEADERSHIP observed that there are fewer vehicles on the major roads in Port Harcourt, the state capital, as many motorists have abandoned their vehicles at home and in offices to patronise the public transport system.

Public transport fares appear to be cheaper as petrol stations in the state sell between N1,250 and N1,350 per litre, while a litre sells for N1,500 on the black market.

It was further observed that although most petrol stations were not open or selling to motorists, there were no queues at the stations visited.

 

Uyo

In Akwa Ibom State, the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), petrol, has risen to an all-time high of N1,500 per litre from the previous N850 in most filling stations, including those operated by major and independent marketers, our correspondent’s checks revealed in Uyo, the state capital, and across other local government areas.

In the capital, Uyo, it was gathered that most filling st