Economy
FG Urges Nigerians To Patronise Certified CNG Conversion Centres For Safety
FG Urges Nigerians To Patronise Certified CNG Conversion Centres For Safety
FG urges Nigerians to patronise certified CNG conversion centres for safety. He advised Nigerians to visit the P-CNGi website – www.pci.gov.ng to see the list of government-approved conversion centres.
The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi) has urged Nigerians to use only government-certified CNG conversion workshop centres nationwide for safety reasons.
P-CNGi programme director/chief executive, Michael Oluwagbemi, made the call in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
Mr Oluwagbemi warned against patronising illegal conversion centres and locally fabricated cylinders by quacks in an attempt to convert patrol vehicles to CNG.
He advised Nigerians to visit the P-CNGi website – www.pci.gov.ng to see the list of government-approved conversion centres.
The P-CNGi is a component of the palliative intervention of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, designed to provide succour to Nigerians suffering from the hardship created by fuel subsidy removal.
The fuel price increased significantly due to the removal of petroleum subsidies and the full deregulation of the product market, creating a need for alternative energy sources such as CNG and electric vehicles.
However, Nigerians are still sceptical about its usage and have raised concerns about the security, safety, and affordability of conversion kits.
Speaking on its safety, the programme director said CNG was lighter, adding that air dissipates quickly, reducing fire risks in a contained environment.
Mr Oluwagbemi said that the regulatory standard was approved by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to cover the CNG conversion industry.
He added the Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System on the other hand, regulates and monitors all gas-powered vehicles.
“Natural gas is safer than petrol and diesel, and our aim is to transition Nigeria to the use of a safer, cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy source,” he said.
He said the CNG programme began with seven centres and was able to increase the centres to 193 in 2024.
The P-CNGi boss said there were currently about 30 conversion centres in FCT alone, while Lagos has more than 70 centres.
He said Mr Tinubu’s administration targets one million converted vehicles by 2027, from 30,000 to 50,000 CNG-converted trucks and vehicles across the country.
Mr Oluwagbemi attributed the incident to using locally fabricated cylinders by quacks, who were injured while attempting to fill the cylinder for the first time.
“The three persons were immediately arrested and have been charged to court for economic sabotage,” he said.

CNG Conversion
Juxtaposing CNG’s incidents with petrol, the programme director pointed out several petrol explosions recorded across the country, with high mortality rates.
He explained that methane and ethane, being the primary constituents of natural gas, were single-chain linked hydrocarbons.
Mr Oluwagbemi said this contrasted with butane, propane, and all linked chain hydrocarbons, which constitute diesel, petrol, gasoline, and LPG.
The programme director further argued that the rate of fatality when a patrol vehicle exploded was nine out of 10, adding that patrol vehicles were more dangerous compared with CNG vehicles.
Economy
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.
The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.
Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.
He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.
“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly
“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”
Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.
Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.
He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.
Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.
Crime
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.
Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC
Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.
The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026
Economy
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.
Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.
Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.
Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.
She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.
“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”
Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.
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