The Federal Government says it will receive the first batch of 500 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, stations by the end of October, as part of efforts to expand access to cheaper vehicle fuel nationwide.

Chairman of the Presidential CNG Initiative, Ismael Ahmed, said another 500 stations would subsequently be procured, bringing the total to 1,000.

He said deployment would prioritise areas with high vehicle traffic and demand.

Ahmed said the government was profiling locations nationwide, while noting that Abuja currently has 26 operational CNG stations.

He added that land availability remains a major challenge to expanding facilities in the Federal Capital Territory.