President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated 30 hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses in Abuja as part of the Presidential CNG Initiative.
The locally manufactured buses, donated by the Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), can each accommodate 100 passengers.
The Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) donated 20 of them while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) donated the rest.
This launch comes just days after Mr Tinubu held closed-door talks with Innocent Chukwuma, founder and chief executive of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, at the Aso Rock Villa on 8 August. Following that meeting, Mr Chukwuma hinted at an ongoing partnership with the government, describing the Presidential CNG Initiative as “the way forward” for Nigeria.
At the unveiling, President Tinubu emphasised that utilising natural gas in the transportation sector would reduce costs, enhance productivity, and save foreign exchange spent on petrol and diesel imports.
“If we can enhance our energy competitiveness and bring about transformative changes like this, we will be able to achieve the prosperity we are working hard to accomplish for our people,” he said.
Mr Tinubu noted that commercial vehicles account for over 80% of Nigeria’s petroleum demand, costing “trillions of naira every month”. He cited India as an example, where CNG has been mandatory for all commercial vehicles since 2004.
The president commended Innoson Motors for their commitment to the CNG initiative, stating, “The solution is here. We have it. We will work on it. We promise you things will get better. Prosperity will be achieved.”
Winifred Akpani, chairperson of DAPPMAN, expressed support for the administration’s efforts to enhance the nation’s transportation system and lower costs. She highlighted that the hybrid buses were designed, manufactured, and delivered by Innoson Motors, a Nigerian company.
Emmanuella Arukwe, managing director of NNPC Foundation, revealed that NNPC contributed 10 of the 30 buses.
The Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG) is a crucial component of the current administration’s efforts to alleviate the public hardships that resulted from the removal of fuel subsidies by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
This initiative primarily focuses on diversifying Nigeria’s energy sources, reducing reliance on petrol and diesel, and addressing environmental concerns.
The key objective is to drive down and manage transportation costs for Nigerians by utilizing the cheaper gas alternative that is abundant but currently underutilized in Nigeria
