Compressed Natural Gas (CNG): Protest erupts in House of Reps over alleged exclusion of north

Some lawmakers from the northern region have decried the exclusion of the North-East and North-West from the Federal Government’s rollout of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion centres.

The protest came during Thursday’s House plenary while debating a motion titled “Call to establish more Compressed Natural Gas conversion centres across Nigeria” moved by Hon. Aliyu Madaki (Dala Federal Constituency, Kano State), who also serves as Deputy Minority Leader.

Madaki noted that while the Presidential CNG Initiative is laudable and offers benefits such as cost reduction, environmental friendliness, and improved engine longevity, the North-East has no CNG centres, and only Kaduna benefits in the North-West.

He pointed out the uneven distribution of centres, saying states like Lagos have up to 70, while others such as Edo, Ekiti, Kaduna, Oyo, and a few southern states have multiple centres each.

Meanwhile, states like Kano, Borno, Katsina, and Sokoto were completely left out.

“We are concerned that major commercial states in the North have been sidelined,” Madaki said, urging the Federal Government to extend the initiative equitably to promote business and ease citizens’ burden.

Hon. Sada Soli (Jibia/Kaita, Katsina) also condemned the exclusion of both northern zones, describing it as a contradiction to the programme’s aim of cushioning the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

Borno lawmaker, Ahmed Jaha emphasized the urgent need for CNG centres in the North-East, citing historical neglect as a root cause of the region’s instability.

He argued that the government’s failure to invest in the North-East contributed to the rise of insurgency and insecurity, and urged equitable development to promote national peace.

While commending the President for the initiative, Jaha warned that no region can thrive in isolation or neglect without consequences for the whole country.