President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas to incorporate electric vehicles, marking a new phase in the initiative’s repositioning.

The program will now be called the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced this in a statement on Thursday titled, “President Tinubu Approves Expansion of PiCNG Mandate to Include Electric Vehicles.”

“With this approval, 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.

Onanuga stated that the expanded mandate will also drive the development and deployment of electric vehicles, EV charging infrastructure, and associated investments across Nigeria.

Accordingly, President Tinubu has instructed the Executive Chairman of PiCNG & EV to promptly set up a coordinated framework for the nationwide rollout of vehicle conversion kits, ensuring they are made available to Nigerians at an affordable cost.

To facilitate this, the initiative will collaborate with CreditCorp Nigeria, financial institutions, and other relevant partners to develop cost-effective financing solutions, making vehicle conversions more accessible to the public.

President Tinubu also ordered the accelerated rollout of Mobile Refuelling Units to broaden access to CNG as permanent infrastructure continues to expand.

The statement noted that gas remains a strategic and cost-effective fuel for transportation, utilizing Nigeria’s abundant resources to lower expenses, boost energy security, and preserve foreign exchange.

The integration of electric vehicles further advances the government’s goal of promoting affordable, efficient, and environmentally friendly mobility.

Introduced in 2023, the Presidential CNG Initiative is part of the Federal Government’s drive to ease the impact of petrol subsidy removal and encourage cleaner energy alternatives for transportation.