The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has unveiled its second Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion and training centre in Abuja, signaling the Federal Government’s accelerated shift toward cleaner and more affordable energy for transportation, while reducing reliance on petrol and lowering carbon emissions.
The facility, a collaboration between NASENI and Portland Gas Ltd, was inaugurated in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja, by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker, House of Representatives.
“Energy transitions are never just about technology, they are about the quality of life for our people. We must commend the leadership of NASENI for making life easier for Nigerian citizens,” Abbas, who was represented by Alex Mascot Ikwechegh said at the event.
The NASENI-Portland hub includes a CNG conversion facility, training centre, and refill station with the capacity to convert up to 20 vehicles daily. The centre is part of a broader national push to scale up alternative fuel solutions as global energy pressures and domestic fuel subsidy removals strain consumer budgets.
Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, described the centre as a milestone under President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which emphasises sustainability, innovation, and inclusive industrial growth.
“Our plan is ambitious: to replicate these facilities across all 36 states and the FCT, making it possible to convert every vehicle in Nigeria to CNG in the coming years,” Halilu said. “This daughter station represents our commitment to bringing CNG technology closer to the people, breaking monopolies to improve service quality and affordability.”
CNG, a cleaner-burning alternative to petrol and diesel, has gained renewed traction in Nigeria following rising fuel costs and an official policy shift toward renewable and alternative energy sources. Countries like Argentina and Pakistan have already transitioned millions of vehicles to CNG, a path Nigerian lawmakers and energy experts say the country can follow.
The centre also acts as a skills development hub. NASENI says it has already trained 30 engineers across Nigeria in CNG conversion and clean energy maintenance, laying the foundation for what the agency calls a “new generation of home-grown experts.”
Representing the Chief of Staff to the President, Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser on Energy, reinforced Government’s commitment to public-private collaboration.
“The NASENI–Portland partnership is a clear example of how the private sector plays a vital role in driving our nation’s economic growth and development,” she said.
Also speaking, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) praised NASENI for helping to reduce energy costs for transport and called on other agencies to support the initiative.
