The Federal Government has commissioned three Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure facilities in Kano State, as part of efforts to expand access to cleaner and cheaper energy and reduce transportation costs.
The facilities, developed by Rolling Energy Limited with support from the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), comprise a 300,000-standard cubic metres per day Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) distribution hub and a retail station at Tamburawa, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, as well as a 21,000-standard cubic metres per day LCNG daughter and retail station at Hotoro, Tarauni LGA.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the projects represented the Federal Government’s commitment to translating Nigeria’s abundant gas resources into tangible economic benefits for citizens.
Ekpo, who was represented by a senior government official, said the facilities would strengthen gas distribution, deepen penetration in Kano and neighbouring communities, support businesses and transportation, and create new economic opportunities.
He said the Tamburawa hub would provide integrated LNG storage, regasification and CNG distribution services, including the capacity to supply daughter stations, while the retail outlets would ensure that the product reached consumers directly.
“Together, these three facilities demonstrate the complete philosophy of our domestic gas agenda: building the infrastructure to receive and distribute gas, while simultaneously creating the last-mile outlets that make the product accessible to Nigerians,” he said.
The minister said the projects aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which, according to him, seeks to move the country from policy formulation to the delivery of critical infrastructure.
“His charge to us is clear: we must move from policies to projects, from plans to infrastructure, and from gas reserves beneath our soil to affordable energy that actually reaches our homes, businesses, industries and transportation systems,” he said.
Ekpo added that government was determined to mobilise private sector investment to accelerate the development of the country’s gas infrastructure.
He commended Rolling Energy, MDGIF, regulators, investors and other technical partners for their contributions to the projects.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, Barr. Ismaeel Ahmed, said the expansion of CNG infrastructure across the country showed that investments in the sector were yielding results.
Ahmed, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Technical Training and Capacity Building, Mr Omoh Imoukhede, said the commissioning of the Kano facilities came barely days after Rolling Energy inaugurated another CNG facility in Karu, Abuja.
He said the developments demonstrated that infrastructure for the country’s gas transition was growing, with access to alternative fuel gradually moving closer to Nigerians.
“The conversation about energy transition cannot remain a conversation about what Nigeria can do with its enormous gas resources. Nigerians must begin to see the infrastructure, use the infrastructure, and experience the benefits in their lives every day,” he said.
Ahmed described Kano as a strategic location for the expansion of CNG infrastructure because of its large transport economy, commercial activities and population of people who depend on affordable mobility to earn a living and move goods and services.
He said the expansion of refuelling stations was necessary to complement the growing conversion of vehicles to CNG, stressing that both must develop simultaneously for the initiative to succeed.
“Conversion without refuelling infrastructure will not deliver the transition we want. The two must grow together,” he said.
The presidential initiative chairman said the government would continue to support investments in the sector while ensuring that affordability, availability and safety remained central to the programme.
He added that the initiative was designed to provide Nigerians with cheaper and cleaner transportation alternatives while utilising the country’s domestic gas resources to strengthen the economy.
In his remarks, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said the state was ready to partner with the Federal Government and private investors to expand gas infrastructure and improve commercial activities.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Sani Gaddafi, said the increasing adoption of CNG-powered vehicles in Kano had created an urgent need for more refuelling stations.
He said the existing facilities were becoming inadequate to accommodate the growing number of transporters and other users of CNG.
“With a population of about 20 million and commercial activities involving neighbouring states in the North-West and other African countries, I am sure the number of these stations will not be enough in Kano,” he said.
Yusuf said Kano offered enormous investment opportunities in the gas sector, given its population, commercial importance and strategic location.
He recalled that Rolling Energy had approached the state government about one to two years ago seeking the necessary permits and approvals to establish the facilities, expressing satisfaction that the initiative had now become a reality.
The governor assured investors that his administration would continue to provide the necessary support, approvals and strategic partnerships to encourage infrastructure development in the state.
He commended President Tinubu, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), the MDGIF and Rolling Energy for their contributions to the development.
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