The GCEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, has disclosed the company’s readiness to deliver six CNG mother and service station plants and stations across the country.

Kyari said this while speaking at the commissioning of the 5.2mmscfd plant at the Isolo Industrial Area, Ilasamaja in Lagos, on Thursday.

According to the NNPC boss, the company has reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) with Axxela Limited to deliver six CNG mother and service station plants and stations of 5.2 mmscfd capacity each, in selected locations spread across the six geopolitical zones, including the FCT, to ease access to bulk CNG.

He stated that the move was to maintain energy security and provide more access to CNG by the Nigerian populace.

“NNPC will continue to deliver more strategic projects for the benefit of our country. We shall utilise our gas resources for industrialisation, power generation and economic prosperity for all,” Kyari stated.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, who commissioned the plant, said the occasion represents a critical turning point in the development of affordable, sustainable, and secure energy sources in the country.

The Minister described 2024 as a historic year for Nigerians, stressing that through his courageous decision to eliminate fuel subsidies and promote the acceptability and broader use of LPG, President Bola Tinubu has brought about several fresh beginnings in the lives of Nigerians.

“Although the elimination of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidy has brought difficulties, it has also given us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to invent and adopt more economical, efficient, and sustainable energy alternatives,” the Minister stated.

Ekpo noted that the use of CNG as a transport fuel is a mature technology used globally, as it is the cleanest burning fuel in terms of Nitro-oxide and soot emissions. While it can be employed to power passenger cars and city buses, CNG passenger vehicles emit 5-10% less CO2 than comparable gasoline-powered passenger vehicles, the Minister added.

In his goodwill message, the Chief Executive, Presidential CNG Initiative, Engineer Michael Oluwagbemi, described the plant commissioning as a testament to President Tinubu’s commitment to providing sustainable energy solutions for Nigerians.