The cost of compressed natural gas (CNG) has surged to N380 per standard cubic metre (SCM) for cars and buses at retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja, up by N150 from the previous rate of N230.
Visits to the NIPCO filling station in Ibafo, Ogun State, the Mobil CNG station in Apapa, Lagos, and a NIPCO station in Abuja confirmed motorists are now paying the new price.
A NIPCO source, who asked not to be named, said lorries and heavy-duty vehicles face an even higher charge of N450 per SCM.
“The price is set by NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML). Right now, it is N380 for cars and buses and N450 for lorries. The price is uniform across states—whether Lagos, Ajaokuta, or Benin,” the source explained.
The official added that the adjustment came without prior explanation, sparking complaints among motorists who had spent heavily converting their vehicles to CNG.
“It is unfair on motorists who invested millions in conversions. At this rate, CNG could soon cost nearly the same as petrol. What then was the point of the conversion?” the source lamented.
The increase comes less than a year after the federal government launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) in October 2023. The initiative was designed to reduce reliance on petrol and included a waiver on value-added tax (VAT) for the purchase of CNG buses.
