Lawmakers from northern Nigeria on Thursday criticized the Federal Government over the exclusion of the North-East and North-West geopolitical zones from the distribution of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion centres under the Presidential CNG Initiative.
Their concerns were raised during the consideration of a motion titled “Call to establish more compressed natural gas conversion centres across Nigeria” moved by Hon. Aliyu Madaki, who represents Dala Federal Constituency in Kano State.
Madaki, who also serves as the Deputy Minority Leader, pointed out the environmental and economic benefits of adopting CNG, including lower costs, reduced air and noise pollution, and less wear on vehicle engines. Despite these advantages, he lamented that states like Kano, Borno, Katsina, and Sokoto were not included in the initial rollout of the initiative.
He revealed that while states such as Lagos (70 centres), Edo (11), and Kaduna (10) received multiple CNG centres, not a single one was allocated to the North-East zone. “This exclusion places commercial states in the North at a disadvantage,” Madaki argued.
Backing the motion, Katsina lawmaker Sada Soli noted that the CNG initiative, meant to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, had failed to reach key northern regions. “Instead of solving a problem, the policy is creating more,” he said.
Borno representative Ahmed Jaha emphasized the historical neglect of the North-East, warning that continued exclusion could fuel unrest. “If any region deserves these centres, it is the North-East,” he said, linking past neglect to the rise of insurgency and insecurity.
Meanwhile, Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun) urged the government to look beyond CNG and begin preparing for a shift toward electric vehicles, while Kafilat Ogbara (Kosofe, Lagos) called for the creation of a regionally inclusive ad hoc committee to oversee the initiative’s implementation.
In response, the House resolved to establish the ad hoc committee and urged the Federal Government to ensure equitable distribution of CNG conversion centres nationwide. It also mandated the Committee on Gas Resources to ensure compliance and report back within four weeks.
