The Dangote Group is set to convert another 6,000 diesel-powered trucks to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), deepening its commitment to Nigeria’s clean energy transition and significantly expanding its existing CNG fleet of 4,000 vehicles.
This development was confirmed by the Programme Coordinator of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), Michael Oluwagbemi, in a video shared via the initiative’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
According to Oluwagbemi, corporate giants like Dangote and BUA have embraced the government’s CNG drive, opting for fuel alternatives that not only reduce emissions but also lower operational costs. “Dangote just signed up to have more than 6,000 of their trucks converted in addition to the existing 4,000. BUA is doing the same thing,” he said.
He added that the pace of adoption has been encouraging, and the programme is well on track to hit between 150,000 and 250,000 vehicle conversions by the end of 2025.
Expressing optimism about the public’s response, Oluwagbemi said: “From the start, I maintained that the success or failure of this programme would depend on Nigerians. I’m very pleased to see how receptive they’ve been. CNG is a patriotic fuel, and Nigerians are embracing it.”
The PCNGI boss attributed the progress to strategic collaboration with key regulatory bodies and ministries across the energy and automotive sectors. He outlined close partnerships with agencies such as the Nigerian Automotive Development Council, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), among others.
“We’re not working in silos,” Oluwagbemi stated. “This initiative is a product of coordination across government. We’ve supported SON with inspections of CNG kits and cylinders, both locally and abroad, to ensure compliance with safety standards. We’ve also helped the Automotive Council launch its regulatory framework for conversion workshops.”
He noted that the initiative has trained over 5,000 technicians since last year and continues to support infrastructure growth through partnerships with other programmes, such as the Nigeria Medium and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), which funded six companies in the CNG space to roll out mother and daughter refueling stations.
One of these projects recently broke ground in Akwa Ibom State, officiated by the Minister of State for Gas. Oluwagbemi also confirmed ongoing collaboration with the Ministries of Finance, Transportation, Technology, and Information to ensure broad institutional support for the CNG rollout.
“This programme is about building a new national energy ecosystem one that is safer, cheaper, cleaner, and more inclusive. Achieving that requires every hand on deck,” he said.
