Taxi Union Raises Concern Over Free CNG Conversion Programme Hijack

The President of Painted Abuja Taxis, Shehu Shugaba, has raised concerns over the ongoing Compressed Natural Gas vehicle conversion programme, alleging that free conversions intended for commercial transporters are being hijacked by private vehicle owners with the active collusion of some conversion centres.

Shugaba, who spoke in Abuja, criticised the approach adopted by some of the conversion centres and urged the Federal Government to ensure a transparent process that fully involves registered transport unions in the implementation of the scheme.

According to Shugaba, the programme was designed to prioritise commercial drivers who provide essential public transportation services, but the reality on the ground suggests otherwise. He disclosed that while his union had already submitted a list of about 200 taxis for conversion, not all of them had been attended to, raising suspicion of irregularities.

“The way they are doing the CNG is not acceptable to us. Initially, they were supposed to collect lists directly from us, so we would be able to know the actual quantity of vehicles that have been converted. We submitted about 200 names, but I don’t think all of them have been converted since this programme started,” Shugaba said.

He explained that he had personally visited conversion managers to advocate for a more structured and accountable process. “I went to CNG officials myself and told them it is better to collect lists from us.

That way we can track conversions and enforce fairness,” he added.

Shugaba further alleged that some conversion centres were facilitating the abuse of the scheme by registering private vehicles as commercial ones in exchange for money.

“Some of the conversion centres are the real problem. They negotiate with private vehicle owners, tag them as commercial, and get their cars converted for free. That is the challenge we are facing. Instead, they should collect lists directly from us to avoid abuse,” he said.

In response to these allegations, the Investment Facilitation Coordinator of the Presidential CNG Initiative, Jide Awolowo, dismissed suggestions that the programme was being diverted to benefit private car owners. He insisted that the Federal Government remains committed to ensuring that only genuine commercial vehicles benefit from the free conversion offer.

“We are still in the process of conversion and heading towards 100,000 vehicles. The free conversion offer is not for every car owner. It is strictly for commercial vehicles that can be verified through their unions,” Awolowo said.

He stressed that only vehicles registered under recognised transport unions such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers and other sector associations would qualify. “If you are not registered with a union, you can claim that your vehicle is commercial, but how do we ascertain that? It’s only through the unions that we can confirm such claims,” he explained.

Awolowo acknowledged that the union representatives are critical to the programme’s success and emphasised that the initiative has been working directly with them to safeguard the process from abuse. “We rely on the unions to provide us with lists of their members. We don’t just work with anybody who shows up claiming to own a commercial vehicle,” he clarified.

Beyond defending the integrity of the current programme, Awolowo outlined the government’s broader vision for the CNG initiative. He disclosed that the Presidential CNG Initiative is targeting the conversion of about one million vehicles to gas by 2027.

“We’ve already seen progress. When we started, only about 11 fuel stations were dispensing CNG. Today, we have over 60 nationwide. By 2027, we expect to have more than 10,000 conversion centres,” Awolowo said.

He noted that scaling up infrastructure is critical to ensuring long-term sustainability of the programme, adding that building a nationwide network of fueling and conversion centres will boost confidence among transport operators and private investors.

Awolowo also stressed that the programme is designed not only to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on petrol but also to create thousands of jobs for young Nigerians.

“While we are waiting for the conversion centres to fully roll out, we are training young Nigerians to ensure there is a ready pool of skilled labour for this brand-new sector. The petrol sector took decades to develop; the CNG sector will also take time, but we are laying the right foundations,” he said.

He emphasised that the initiative goes beyond energy substitution and is also about building a new ecosystem for Nigeria’s transport sector. According to him, the programme will cut fuel costs for commercial operators, reduce dependence on imported petrol, lower emissions, and create sustainable employment opportunities.

Despite assurances from the government, taxi drivers like Shugaba maintain that loopholes still exist and must be urgently addressed to prevent abuse. He argued that direct involvement of unions in managing the process is the only way to ensure that the scheme delivers its intended benefits to commercial transporters.

Both sides, however, agree that the success of the CNG initiative depends on strong collaboration between government agencies, conversion centres, and transport unions. While the government is scaling up infrastructure and targeting ambitious milestones, operators on the ground are demanding fairness, transparency, and strict monitoring to protect the scheme from exploitation.

With fuel costs rising and the search for cleaner, cheaper alternatives intensifying, the CNG conversion programme remains a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s energy transition journey. How effectively the government balances speed, scale, and accountability will determine whether it becomes a genuine game-changer for the transport sector or falls victim to mismanagement and abuse.