By Ahmad Muhammad
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that there is no cause to fear a rise in the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The assurance was given by the Chief Operating Officer of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PI-CNG&EV), Mr. Tosin Coker, during a media parley in Kano.
Coker said unlike petrol, whose price is determined internationally and affected by geopolitical tensions, CNG is abundant in Nigeria and its pricing is locally controlled.
He explained that the recent hike in petrol and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices, triggered by the crisis in Iran, would not affect CNG.
“People should not fear that CNG price will go up in par with petrol. Petrol prices are determined internationally. CNG is natural gas that we have in abundance and we control the pricing as a nation,” he said.
He added that with wider adoption of CNG across the country, increased competition would eventually drive the price down.
“In years to come, with CNG everywhere, there is no reason why the price should go up. If anything, it should even come down because there will be more competition,” he stated.
Speaking on progress in Nigeria’s gas sector, Mr. Taofeek Balogun,the Workstream Lead for Infrastructure and Demand at the Decade of Gas Secretariat highlighted significant achievements recorded under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s proven gas reserves increased from 208.83 trillion cubic feet (TCF) in 2023 to 215.19 TCF as of January 2026, while average gas production rose from 6.86 to approximately 7.5 billion cubic feet per day (BCF/D), with domestic gas supply exceeding 2 BCF/D.
He further highlighted US$3.5 billion in committed investments across four major gas projects, the 100 per cent completion of the OB3 Gas Pipeline and approximately 95 per cent completion of the AKK Gas Pipeline, as well as ₦671 billion in public infrastructure funding attracting approximately ₦1.6 trillion in private investment.
On cleaner cooking, Balogun explained that the LPG Programme targeting five million households by 2030, with launches in Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States, the commencement of distribution activities involving 27,000 LPG cylinders, and ongoing regional LPG sensitisation programmes.
He also highlighted the September 24, 2028 target for Nigeria’s transition to a Willing Buyer, Willing Seller (WBWS) gas market framework, aimed at strengthening market competitiveness, transparency and commercial sustainability.