The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has rejected allegations that state governments failed to properly account for funds accruing from the removal of the petrol subsidy.

The governors also endorsed the proposed National Affordable CNG Transit Programme (NACTP), saying the initiative could help bring down transportation costs and ease the economic burden on Nigerians.

The position was contained in the communiqué issued after the NGF’s third meeting, which began on Wednesday night and ended in the early hours of Thursday at the Forum’s Secretariat in Abuja.

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, who presented the communiqué on behalf of the NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the governors recognised the potential of the CNG programme to reduce transport costs.

According to him, the Forum agreed that the financing structure and implementation framework of the programme required further consideration.

The NACTP is expected to involve state governments in supporting the conversion of vehicles to compressed natural gas, expanding CNG-powered transport fleets and developing other infrastructure needed to make the initiative effective.

Responding to a question on whether the governors accepted responsibility for alleged poor accountability in the management of funds received following the removal of the petrol subsidy, Diri dismissed the claim.

“That cannot be true. That cannot be true. But we’ll leave that debate for another day,” he said.

The governor said the states were prepared to collaborate with the private sector to increase the number of CNG-powered vehicles in operation, arguing that the relatively lower cost of gas compared with petrol could translate into cheaper transportation.

He said the expected reduction in transport expenses could also have wider economic effects, particularly for ordinary Nigerians.

Diri further linked rising transportation costs to the country’s inflationary pressures, stressing the importance of interventions capable of lowering the cost of movement of people and goods.

The governors, he said, would continue to explore measures that could make transportation more affordable while supporting the broader economic recovery efforts.

The meeting also featured a briefing by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, on opportunities available to states through CANEX Weekend 2026 and the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2027, both of which are scheduled to take place in Lagos.

The Forum said greater state participation in such initiatives could provide opportunities for sub-national governments to promote local businesses, investment and intra-African trade.