President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed as the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi)—a key component of the administration’s post-subsidy palliative strategy.

The PCNGi is aimed at promoting cheaper, cleaner, and more affordable energy alternatives following the removal of fuel subsidies. Ahmed will oversee and coordinate the operations of the initiative.

A lawyer and policy strategist, the 45-year-old is a graduate of the University of Abuja, with further academic credentials from Webster University, Missouri, USA, where he earned a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy in 2008.

Ahmed previously served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on the National Social Investment Programme from 2018 to 2022.

The appointment was announced in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on June 27, 2025.