The federal government will launch about 2,700 CNG-powered buses and tricycles before coming May 29, which coincides with one year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, announced this by a statement he signed, titled, ‘Presidential CNG initiative set for rollout.’
Designed to deliver compressed natural gas, especially for mass transit, towards the fruition of the CNG initiative, Onanuga wrote in the statement, the government is poised to deliver 100 conversion workshops and 60 refuelling sites spread across 18 states before the end of 2024.
“From the end of May, Nigeria will take some baby steps to join such nations that already have large fleets of CNG vehicles.
“All is now ready for delivery of the first set of critical assets for deployment and launch of the CNG initiative ahead of the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration on May 29.
“About 2,500 of the tricycles will be ready before May 29, 2024…working towards delivering 200 units before the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration,” it read in part.
Recall that about five months after the removal of the petrol subsidy, President Tinubu launched the Presidential CNG Initiative to deliver cheaper, safer, more climate-friendly energy and ease the burden of the increased pump price on the masses.
Putting its money where its mouth is, the government earmarked N100bn (part of the N500bn palliative budget) to purchase 5500 CNG vehicles (buses and tricycles), 100 Electric buses and over 20,000 CNG conversion kits, with plans to develop CNG refilling stations and electric charging stations nationwide.
