The cost of compressed natural gas (CNG) has risen sharply to N380 per standard cubic metre (SCM) for cars and buses at retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja, marking a N150 increase from the previous price of N230.
Checks showed that at the NIPCO filling station in Ibafo, Ogun State, as well as at the Mobil CNG station in Apapa, Lagos, and another NIPCO station in Abuja, motorists were paying the new rate of N380 per SCM.
A source at NIPCO who requested anonymity confirmed that lorries and heavy-duty vehicles now face an even steeper charge of N450 per SCM.
“The price is set by the NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML). Right now, it is fixed at N380 for cars and buses and N450 for lorries. It doesn’t matter the state – Lagos, Ajaokuta, Benin – the price is uniform across stations,” the source said.
The official added that the price adjustment was made without prior explanation, raising concerns among motorists who had already invested heavily in vehicle conversions.
“It is just not fair on motorists who spent millions converting their vehicles. And it will keep rising like that. Before you know it, the price of CNG will almost match that of petrol. So, what was the point of spending so much on conversion?” the source lamented.
The development comes less than a year after the federal government launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) in October 2023. The initiative, aimed at reducing dependence on petrol, included a waiver on value-added tax (VAT) for the purchase of CNG buses.
Melissa Enoch
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