ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – President Bola Tinubu inaugurated 30 hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses with a total capacity of 3,000 passengers in Abuja, yesterday.
The Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) donated the locally manufactured buses to the federal government.
At the inauguration, President Tinubu said 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 Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
‘’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.”
He noted that commercial vehicles account for over 80 per cent of the nation’s petroleum demand, citing examples of several countries that have switched to CNG for their transportation systems and are already reaping the benefits.
‘’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 said.
President Tinubu commended Innoson Motors, the vehicle manufacturers, for their commitment to his administration’s CNG initiative.
Chairman of DAPPMAN, Dame Winifred Akpani, expressed her association’s support for the administration’s commitment to enhancing the nation’s transportation system, which she noted would lead to lower transportation costs.
‘’This batch of hybrid buses, which DAPPMAN is donating to the Federal Government, furthers our support for this administration’s resolve to address Nigeria’s energy challenges.
‘’We are proud to note that these buses have been designed, manufactured, and delivered by Innoson Motors, a Nigerian company,” Dame Akpani said.
Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, said the 10 CNG buses were the company’s contribution to promote clean energy and affordable transportation for the Nigerian masses.
She expressed excitement about the foundation’s involvement in the project, stating that it aligns with their focus areas of energy and the environment.
“We committed 10 CNG buses to DAPPMAN which is what we have delivered today. We are excited to be part of this initiative. Although it is an NNPC initiative, for us in the foundation, we are really committed to our area of focus which is energy and the environment.”
Arukwe highlighted the significance of the CNG buses to the economy, noting that fueling the buses is more cost-effective compared to conventional fuels.
She emphasized that the use of CNG buses will greatly reduce transportation fares, ultimately benefiting the public and boosting the economy.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the presentation signifies a major shift as promised by the Tinubu’s administration to transition from fossil fuel to renewables, in this case CNG initiative. He said it is in fulfillment of the President’s promise that the country will gradually move from very expensive PMS to CNG that is very cheap and very affordable for most Nigerians.
“What this means is that Nigerians are going to be saving money, the environment is also going to be cleaner because fossil fuels are usually less environmentally friendly.”
This initiative is part of a broader strategy by the Tinubu administration to modernize Nigeria’s transportation system, reduce reliance on petrol, and promote the use of cleaner energy sources. The government has rolled out plans to deploy a total of 3,000 CNG buses by March 2024, with a long-term goal of having one million CNG buses on the roads by 2027.
