P-CNGI Denies Government Directive On Increasing CNG Pump Prices

The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (P-CNGI) has rejected reports that the federal government had ordered a rise in compressed natural gas (CNG) pump prices nationwide, saying the changes announced by some operators were private-sector decisions and not the result of any government policy.
Matilda Johnson, Brands and Corporate Communications Manager at P-CNGI said, “No directive or policy has been issued by the federal government to alter CNG pump prices.” She reiterated the administration’s posture that CNG remains a cheaper, cleaner alternative to other transport fuels and stressed that pricing is the remit of relevant regulatory agencies, not P-CNGI.
In a brief in Abuja, Johnson said the initiative was issuing the clarification to “address recent misleading and outright false reports suggesting that the Federal Government has removed subsidies or increased the price of CNG. This is incorrect.” She added, “For absolute clarity: while pricing matters fall under the purview of the appropriate regulatory agencies, no directive or policy has been issued by the Federal Government to alter CNG pump prices.”
Johnson set out P-CNGI’s mandate and the policy objective behind the initiative, saying, “The mandate of P-CNGI, as directed by President Bola Tinubu, is to catalyse the development of the CNG mobility market and ensure the adoption of a cheaper, cleaner and more sustainable alternative fuel and diesel nationwide.”
She said the initiative’s role is promotional and facilitative to spur investment, technical conversion and market adoption rather than to set retail fuel prices.

“So far, through the collaboration and commitment of relevant government agencies, the sector has witnessed monumental enthusiasm and growth,” Johnson said, adding that “the progress has already attracted close to one billion dollars in private sector investment,” a figure she cited as evidence of investor confidence in the market’s commercial potential.

Johnson also reiterated the government’s comparative claim for CNG, saying CNG would remain attractive to motorists because it is “significantly cheaper, cleaner and more affordable than Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and diesel,” and concluded with an appeal to the public to treat recent price reports with caution. “Our focus remains on deepening CNG penetration nationwide and encouraging broader private sector participation to ensure availability and affordability for all,” she said.
Some private marketers were selling CNG at N380 per Standard Cubic Metre (SCM), up from N230 per SCM earlier, a change P-CNGI categorised as a private pricing decision rather than a government change of policy. P-CNGI said it would continue to work with regulators and market actors to expand conversion, station roll-out and consumer awareness while leaving price regulation to the statutory agencies.

Kano Condemns Deportation Of Northerners From Abuja

The Kano State Government has criticised what it described as repeated and unlawful deportations of residents from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying the practice violated constitutional rights and called for more humane, rehabilitative responses.

Hajiya Amina Sani-Abdullahi, the state’s commissioner for women affairs, children and disabled persons, told reporters in Kano that the state had observed “within the last four weeks, several Nigerian citizens, including indigenes of Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, and Kaduna, were deported from the FCT to Kano.” She framed the practice as inconsistent with the constitutional principle that every Nigerian is free to reside and seek livelihood in any part of the country so long as they do not threaten public peace and safety.

Sani-Abdullahi emphasised the national character of the FCT, saying, “The FCT is not the property of a single state or region; it is the common heritage of all Nigerians and, as such, a home for all.”
She argued the FCT administration’s approach ran counter to both constitutional protections and the humanitarian instincts a capital city should display.

Turning to alternatives, the commissioner said punitive deportation was the wrong policy response to perceived social disorder. “If certain individuals are found engaging in activities that you consider undesirable, the humane and constitutional approach would be to design empowerment programmes. Provide grants, or create opportunities for rehabilitation and meaningful economic engagement not forceful deportation,” Sani-Abdullahi said, urging preventive and constructive measures over forcible removal.

Sani-Abdullahi also spoke to conditions reported by deportees. She said accounts received by the Kano government indicated that some of those returned had been detained for more than 10 days under what she described as “harsh conditions, and fed once daily.” She characterised such treatment as “degrading and unacceptable in a democratic society.”

Defending Kano’s tradition of hospitality and economic integration, the commissioner said, “In Kano, we host people from all over Nigeria, including Rivers State and other regions, and they live, work, and contribute to our economy without discrimination. This is the spirit of national brotherhood that strengthens our unity,” she said, linking tolerance to social cohesion and economic benefit.