Adedokun Waliyu 
President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the presidential initiative on compressed natural gas (PiCNG) to include electric vehicles.
In a statement on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said the initiative will now be known as the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PiCNG & EV).
Under the expanded mandate, PiCNG & EV will lead and coordinate Nigeria’s clean mobility strategy, covering gas-driven vehicles and electric vehicles nationwide.
“The Initiative will continue to drive the deployment of CNG infrastructure, including Mother and Daughter Stations, Integrated Refuelling Units, CNG vehicles and equipment, and nationwide conversion programmes,” the statement reads.
“It will also anchor the development and rollout of electric vehicles, EV charging infrastructure, and related investments nationwide.
“Gas remains a competitive and strategic fuel for transportation, leveraging Nigeria’s abundant resources to lower costs, strengthen energy security, and conserve foreign exchange.
“The inclusion of electric vehicles further strengthens the government’s agenda for affordable, efficient, and environmentally responsible mobility.”
Tinubu also directed the executive chairman of the initiative to establish a coordinated process for the rapid deployment of vehicle conversion kits nationwide.
According to the statement, the kits must be made accessible to Nigerians at affordable rates.
“To achieve this, the Initiative will work with CreditCorp Nigeria, financial institutions, and relevant partners to design cost-effective financing structures that make vehicle conversions widely accessible to the public,” Onanuga said.
The statement added that the president further directed the accelerated deployment of mobile refuelling units (MRUs) to expand access to CNG while permanent infrastructure continues to scale.
