President Bola Tinubu on Monday August 12 rolled out 30 hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses with the capacity to transport 3,000 passengers in Abuja.
The locally-manufactured buses were donated to the federal government by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Speaking at the inauguration, the President said using natural gas to power the nation’s transportation industry would reduce transportation costs, boost productivity, and save the nation trillions of naira spent on the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
He added; ‘‘If we can enhance our energy competitiveness and bring about transformative changes like this, we would definitely be able to achieve the prosperity that we are working hard to accomplish for our people. These CNG buses are promising and will enhance our transportation system”.
Tinubu explained that commercial vehicles account for about 80 percent of the nation’s petroleum demand, citing examples of many 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 percent 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 added.
He lauded the efforts of Innoson Motors, the manufacturer of the vehicles, for its commitment to the CNG initiative of his administration.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of DAPPMAN, Dame Winifred Akpani, expressed her association’s support for the administration’s commitment to improving the nation’s transportation system, which she said would lead to lower transportation costs.
She stated further; ”This batch of hybrid buses, which DAPPMAN is donating to the federal government, is in furtherance to 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”.
