As part of efforts to speed up the CNG adoption in Nigeria to drive down cost of transportation, President Bola Tinubu on Monday launched the first set of hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The President commissioner 30 hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses with a total capacity of 3,000 passengers.
The Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) donated 20 of the CNG-powered buses while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) donated 10 of the locally manufactured buses to the federal government.
The 30 buses were produced locally by Innoson Motors. President Tinubu took a break from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to officially launch the buses. These first set of buses will immediately be deployed in the FCT as part of efforts to help reduce transportation costs for residents.
The President in his remarks stated that utilising natural gas to power the nation’s transportation industry would reduce transportation costs, enhance productivity, and save the nation trillions of naira spent on the importation of PMS and diesel.
‘’If we can enhance our energy competitiveness and bring about transformative changes like this, we will definitely be able to achieve the prosperity we are working hard to accomplish for our people. These CNG buses are encouraging and promising to enhance our transportation system”, the President said.
‘’Countries like India have mandated CNG for all commercial vehicles since 2004. In Nigeria, commercial vehicles make up about 80 per cent of our petroleum demand, costing us trillions of naira every month.
‘’The solution is here. We have it. We will work on it. We promise you, definitely, things will get better. Prosperity will be achieved,” the President affirmed.
President Tinubu commended Innoson Motors, who manufactured the hybrid CNG buses, for their commitment to his administration’s CNG initiative.
Following the removal fuel subsidy by the President on his inauguration day, the federal government has made CNG adoption a priority policy as it tries to reduce the impact of the fuel subsidy removal on the cost of transportation and by extension cost of commodities. The President inaugurated a Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGi) to lead the CNG revolution in the country.
The President in an address last October also announced an approval of N100 billion to kickstart procurement of CNG buses and conversion kits as well as setting up of workshops for Nigerians to drive in and install CNG kits in their vehicles.
The P-CNGi recently announced roll out of conversion workshops in some parts of the country and revealed that 1 million CNG conversion kits are expected to be delivered to motorists especially commercial transporters free of charge or at highly subsidised rates.
Last week, the CEO of Innoson Motors, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, visited President Bola Tinubu in the State House obviously to discuss about the CNG programme. He had stated shortly after the visit that Innoson has commenced production of CNG-powered vehicles even before President Bola Tinubu came into office and assured that more CNG vehicles would soon be available in various cities across the country.