Nigeria’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) push has received a boost as a partnership between a private firm and the Federal Government through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), yielded about $4 million investment in the development of CNG infrastructure.

Making the disclosure, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Portland Gas Limited, Folajimi Muhammed, added that the investment was aimed at deepening gas utilisation and improving energy access across Nigeria.

During the commissioning of the company’s Mother Station in Ojota, Lagos, at the weekend, Muhammed said the project is structured as a joint venture in which Portland Gas holds a 60 percent equity stake while the Federal Government, through MDGIF, owns the remaining 40 percent.

He added that the initiative involves the construction of a Mother Station and Daughter Stations in Lagos and Abuja to facilitate the distribution of CNG through a virtual pipeline system.

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He explained that the facility commissioned represents the first phase of the project and would serve as the central hub for supplying gas to downstream stations.

“The project is a collaboration between Portland Gas and the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund. Portland Gas has contributed 60 per cent equity while the Federal Government has come in with 40 per cent. Our mandate is to build a mother station here and daughter stations in Lagos and Abuja. What we are commissioning today is the first part of that project, which is the mother station,” he said.

Muhammed noted that the facility currently has an above-ground storage capacity of 96,000 standard cubic metres per day (SCMD), while the full mother station is designed to handle about five million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

He said the station is presently supplied through a virtual pipeline arrangement whereby gas is sourced from a third-party facility and transported to the site, pending connection to the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline network.

“At the moment, we are sourcing gas from a third party, which is why we call it a virtual pipeline. In the future, we will tap directly into the AKK pipeline and become our own supplier. This will enable us to supply our daughter stations directly and also serve other gas consumers,” he added.

Addressing concerns over persistent queues at CNG stations across the country, Muhammed said increasing the number of refuelling outlets remains the most effective solution.

“The opening of more stations will naturally reduce waiting time and queues. The more stations we build and commission, the more available gas becomes to consumers,” he said.

He revealed that Portland Gas already operates stations in Ajah, Lagos, and Kubwa, Abuja, while additional facilities are planned for Otako and Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory.

On access to funding from the MDGIF, Muhammed described the application process as rigorous but necessary to ensure that only serious investors benefit from the intervention fund.

“It was a very rigorous process. We had to provide extensive documentation and demonstrate that we had already committed substantial resources to the project before accessing the fund. The fund managers needed evidence that we were capable of executing the project,” he explained.

While advocating a more flexible approach for proven investors, he cautioned against lowering standards to the extent that funds are disbursed to entities lacking the capacity to deliver.

“There is a delicate balance. The fund should not be given to people who may not perform simply because they apply. However, companies that have demonstrated commitment and capacity should enjoy a more streamlined process,” he said.

Muhammed also urged greater support for innovative gas distribution models, including mobile refilling units and daughter stations, to accelerate the penetration of CNG across the country.

According to him, such initiatives would complement the Federal Government’s gas expansion agenda and help position natural gas as a viable alternative fuel for transportation and industrial activities.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of MDGIF, Oluwole Adama, said the Fund remains committed to supporting projects that drive energy access, economic growth, and national development.

The Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and emergency preparedness measures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) amid renewed concerns over the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in parts of East and Central Africa.

The move is aimed at preventing the importation of the deadly virus into Nigeria through the country’s busiest international gateway, which handles a significant percentage of inbound international passengers.

Leading a high-powered preparedness inspection at the airport, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said authorities were strengthening systems for early detection, rapid isolation, and emergency evacuation of suspected Ebola cases.

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According to him, Lagos remains vulnerable to imported infectious diseases due to its status as Nigeria’s commercial hub and the volume of international travelers arriving daily through MMIA.

Abayomi explained that the state government is also enhancing digital surveillance and passenger monitoring, particularly for travelers arriving from countries considered high-risk.

“Our objective is to create a bottleneck for the virus, not for passengers,” he said, stressing the importance of collaboration between state and federal agencies in safeguarding public health.

The commissioner recalled Nigeria’s successful containment of the Ebola outbreak in 2014 after the virus was imported into Lagos from Liberia.

He noted that lessons from that experience, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to shape the state’s preparedness and response strategies.

As part of ongoing efforts, authorities are considering the introduction of dedicated arrival channels for passengers arriving from high-risk countries to strengthen screening and reduce potential exposure risks.

Speaking during the inspection, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, described airport personnel as the country’s first line of defense against imported infectious diseases.

She emphasized the need for heightened vigilance, noting that effective disease surveillance begins at ports of entry.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, urged frontline workers to strictly adhere to infection prevention and control measures while carrying out their duties.

Meanwhile, the Airport Manager and Regional General Manager, South-West MMIA, Mr. Olatokunbo Arewa, disclosed that additional preparedness infrastructure, including touchless hand-sanitizer systems and temperature-detection equipment, had been deployed across the airport.

The Head of Port Health Services at MMIA, Dr. Lawal Abdullahi, revealed that the airport had already reviewed and updated its Public Health Emergency Contingency Plan earlier this year and activated its emergency management team in response to recent Ebola developments.

He added that risk assessments had been conducted to identify countries of concern, while passenger screening and information-sharing mechanisms were being strengthened to support rapid response efforts.

Officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Port Health Services, and Lagos State health agencies reaffirmed their commitment to coordinated surveillance, information sharing, and swift response measures to protect Nigerians from Ebola and other infectious disease threats.

The inspection concluded with an assessment of major screening points and emergency response facilities at the airport as authorities intensified efforts to keep the virus out of the country.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State has ordered an indefinite shutdown of public primary and secondary schools across the state following the abduction of teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area.

The directive, which takes effect from Monday, June 1, 2026, requires all public school teachers to withdraw their services until the abducted colleagues and learners are safely released.

The action follows the May 15 attack on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, where gunmen abducted dozens of students and teachers.

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Reports indicate that 39 students and seven teachers, including Mrs. Rachael Alamu, Principal of Community High School, Esiele, were kidnapped during the incident.

Two teachers were also reportedly killed.
Confirming the development, NUT National President, Audu Amba, said the union could no longer watch while its members and students remained in captivity despite repeated appeals to security agencies and government authorities.

According to the union, the continued detention of the victims has created fear and uncertainty within the education sector, forcing teachers to stay away from classrooms until meaningful action is taken to secure their release.

The union maintained that the safety of teachers and learners must be treated as a national priority, stressing that schools cannot function effectively under an atmosphere of insecurity.

In addition to the strike action, the NUT has scheduled solidarity rallies across state capitals on Tuesday, June 2, to draw attention to the plight of the abducted teachers and students and demand urgent intervention from authorities.

The Oyo State chapter of the union has pledged full compliance with the directive, urging members to remain peaceful and law-abiding while the strike lasts.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Oyo State chapter, has distanced itself from any planned protest, insisting that security concerns should be addressed through dialogue and collaboration with relevant authorities.

The association, however, expressed concern over the growing insecurity affecting schools and called for urgent measures to protect pupils, students, and education workers across the country.

The indefinite shutdown is expected to affect thousands of pupils and students in public schools across Oyo State as efforts continue to secure the release of the abducted victims.