President Bola Tinubu on Friday commissioned the Jahi High-capacity Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Daughter Booster Station in Abuja, as the federal government intensifies efforts to expand gas infrastructure and accelerate the transition to cleaner and cheaper energy nationwide.

The facility, developed by Rolling Energy Limited with support from the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), is one of four major gas infrastructure projects inaugurated nationwide as part of the government’s drive to deepen domestic gas utilisation and strengthen Nigeria’s gas value chain.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the project as a significant milestone in the implementation of the government’s ‘Decade of Gas’ initiative and the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG).

He said the station would play a critical role in expanding access to cleaner energy solutions while supporting the government’s broader economic and industrialisation agenda, pointing out that Nigeria, with about 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, must increasingly leverage the resource for domestic economic development rather than focusing primarily on exports.

Tinubu stressed that facilities such as the Jahi Daughter Booster Station were essential to building the infrastructure backbone required to support widespread adoption of CNG for transportation and industrial applications.

Beyond energy access, he said the investments would create jobs, stimulate local businesses, lower transportation fuel costs, reduce emissions and improve affordability of energy for Nigerians.

“The commissioning of this Daughter Booster Station is also a practical contribution to the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), which seeks to expand the adoption of CNG as a cleaner, more affordable and sustainable fuel alternative for transportation and industrial applications. Facilities such as this are essential for building the backbone infrastructure required to support widespread CNG penetration across the country.

“Beyond energy access, projects like this create jobs, stimulate local enterprise, reduce transportation fuel costs, lower emissions, and improve energy affordability for Nigerians. They also reinforce investor confidence in the Nigerian gas sector and demonstrate the effectiveness of public-private collaboration,” the President said.

In his welcome address, Chief Executive Officer of Rolling Energy Limited, Mr. Mubarak Danbatta, said the facility represented more than a fuelling station, describing it as a symbol of confidence in Nigeria’s gas future and a practical contribution to the country’s clean energy transition.

Danbatta explained that the Jahi station forms part of the gas infrastructure expansion programme being executed in partnership with MDGIF in support of the federal government’s Pi-CNG initiative.

He disclosed that Rolling Energy had already supported the government’s gas adoption programme through the deployment of over 8,000 vehicle conversion kits in collaboration with the Pi-CNG initiative.

The company’s chief executive further revealed that the Jahi station had recorded strong patronage since commencing operations, currently serving between 350 and 400 vehicles daily.

“What began as a response to rising transportation costs has rapidly evolved into a nationwide

movement. Across the country, more Nigerians are embracing gas-powered mobility solutions because they are cleaner, more affordable and more sustainable.

“I am particularly pleased to note that since commencing operations, this facility has already recorded strong utilisation, serving an average of between 350 and 400 vehicles daily. This demonstrates the growing confidence Nigerians have in natural gas as a practical and economically viable energy solution,” Danbatta said.

Representing the Executive Director of MDGIF, Mr. Oluwole Adama, Deputy Director of Project Management, Dr. Hussein Basaka, reaffirmed the fund’s commitment to supporting strategic gas infrastructure projects across the country.

Adama said the commissioning marked another important step in strengthening Nigeria’s gas infrastructure and advancing the use of natural gas as a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable energy source.

According to him, the fund remains committed to investments that promote energy access, economic growth and national development, while commending the federal government, the National Assembly, regulators and project partners for their support.

Also speaking, Abuja Regional Coordinator of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Hajia Maijidda Abdulkadir, described the project as a landmark development in Nigeria’s gas utilisation agenda.

She credited Tinubu for establishing structures and initiatives aimed at deepening gas adoption across the country and assured stakeholders of the regulator’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for continued investment in the sector.

Abdulkadir said the NMDPRA would continue to work with industry players to ensure the safe, sustainable and efficient growth of gas infrastructure nationwide.

(THISDAY)

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