The Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CFTPI) is demanding accountability in the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG) that was launched about a year ago.

The initiative, which was unveiled as a strategic response to ease pressure on the demand for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) consumption following the removal of fuel subsidies, has seen substantial government and private investments.

Despite the federal government’s commitment to convert 150,000 vehicles within the first year and eventually reach one million conversions by 2027, the actual number of converted vehicles is reportedly far lower, estimated at fewer than 100,000.

The Program Director and Chief Executive of Pi-CNG, Michael Oluwagbemi, in a recent statement, announced that more than 50,000 vehicles have been converted since the launch of the initiative.

In a press release on Monday, CFTPI’s Head of Public Relations, Victor Agi, said the government agency’s latest position contrasted its information in November 2024, which claimed that over 100,000 vehicles have been converted.

Agi decried the difficulty in matching the over $500 million in investments the Pi-CNG said the sector has attracted with the reality on ground, as Nigerians continue to endure queues for CNG as a result of limited stations in cities like Abuja and Lagos.

The current situation, according to the spokesperson, raises serious questions about the transparency, accountability, and efficiency of the policy’s implementation.

The CFTPI also observed that the infrastructure rollout has been uneven, with the majority of CNG refueling and conversion stations concentrated in a few urban centers, leaving most of the country, especially subregions, with little to no access.

Agi said even in areas where stations exist, motorists still face long waiting times, with reported cases of high conversion costs averaging between N750,000 to N1 million, making the transition inaccessible for the average Nigerian.

“This reality is in stark contrast to the government’s projection that CNG would serve as a cheaper, safer, and more sustainable alternative to petrol, with cost savings of up to 60 percent for end users”, he noted.

The Center wants the administration to provide full disclosure of funds disbursed, raised and generated under the Pi-CNG, adding that the public deserves to know where investments have been directed and why the results do not reflect the level of resources committed.

CFTPI further urged the government to expand the rollout of conversion centers and stations equitably, particularly in underserved regions, while launching robust sensitization campaigns to encourage adoption and dispel safety concerns.

“If Nigerians can not access affordable alternatives and see measurable improvement in their daily lives, the CNG initiative risks becoming yet another lost opportunity in the country’s long quest for energy stability.

“Given the nation’s history with petroleum industry corruption, the Center emphasizes that energy reform must be both transparent and inclusive,” the statement concluded.