CNG kits will soon be available to mitigate high transportation cost in Nigeria – Tinubu
CNG powered car
• President Bola Tinubu has announced that the introduction of new CNG conversion kits will soon enhance affordability in the public transportation sector.
• The Presidency had previously revealed that the projected cost of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is expected to be approximately N250 per litre.
• Nigeria is targeting over 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing PMS-dependent vehicles.
President Bola Tinubu has announced that the introduction of new CNG conversion kits will soon enhance affordability in the public transportation sector.
President Tinubu made this known in his nationwide broadcast on Sunday, October 1st, 2023 on the occasion of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary.
As per the President’s statement, his administration is in the process of establishing training facilities with the aim of generating job opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs.
“Making the economy more robust by lowering transport costs will be key. In this regard, we have opened a new chapter in public transportation through the deployment of cheaper, safer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses across the nation. These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares,” he said.
“New CNG conversion kits will start coming in soon as all hands are on deck to fast-track the usually lengthy procurement process. We are also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs.”
This development according to him marks a groundbreaking moment for Nigeria as it adopts more efficient methods to fuel its economy, and also create history.
The Presidency had previously revealed that the projected cost of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is expected to be approximately N250 per litre. It also shared that an investment of N100 billion has been allocated between July 2023 and March 2024 to acquire 3,000 units of 20-seater CNG-fueled buses.
The proposal to implement CNG usage by the Federal Government and other stakeholders is a crucial step in the ongoing efforts to enhance the affordability of mass transportation, particularly following the removal of the fuel subsidy, which resulted in increased fuel prices.
Last month, Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, elaborated in a media interview that this initiative is aimed explicitly at benefiting lower-income individuals.
“You’re now looking at about N250 per litre on average for CNG. That’s going to have a massive impact on the ability of the everyday Nigerian going to work and back, going to market and back using mass transit across our states. That’s going to do that in the immediate term,” he explained.
In August, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu established the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) to revolutionize the transportation landscape in the country, targeting over 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing PMS-dependent vehicles.
These vehicles are economically advantageous and boast a cleaner environmental energy footprint compared to their petrol-powered counterparts.
The initiative will also boost local manufacturing and assembling of conversion kits while creating jobs for Nigerians.
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