President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the first set of 30 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered city buses at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, in fulfillment of his administration’s promise to reduce the pains of the removal of subsidy on fuel,
The hybrid buses, whose engines can alternate between CNG and diesel as well as fuel, were built in Nnewi, Anambra State, by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd (IVM).
Twenty and 10 of the 100-seater long buses with hand grips for standing passengers, were procured by the Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), respectively, and donated to the Federal Government.
Commissioning the buses shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting, the President Tinubu had applauded Innoson Vehicles and its Chairman, Chief Chukwuma, for investing in the production of CNG vehicles which is in line with the government’s initiative.
Innoson, the President noted, has “been committed to changing this narrative in Nigeria”.
The President described CNG as “an economic necessity that we must embrace” in order to reap the benefits of transiting from diesel and petrol to cheaper and greener autogas.
Tinubu assured that utilising natural gas to power the nation’s transportation industry would reduce costs, enhance productivity and save the nation trillions of naira spent on the importation of petrol and diesel.
He further stated: “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.
“These CNG buses are encouraging and promising to enhance our transportation system,” he remarked.
He observed that commercial vehicles account for over 80 per cent of the nation’s petroleum demand, citing examples of several countries, including India that have switched to CNG for their transportation systems and have been reaping the benefits since 2004.
“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 things will get better. Prosperity will be achieved.”
Commenting on the importance of the autogas vehicles, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris, said the hybrid nature of the buses manufactured by Innoson reflects the efforts of the Federal Government to transit from the traditional fuels to CNG.
Idris said: “What you are seeing is the process of transition. It is also not expedient to put aside the traditional system. It is hybrid for now, and we hope that at the end of the day, there will be a complete transition to CNG.
*What you are witnessing now (hybrid), is that in the event that you have some challenges, which is expected at the beginning, you can still rely on PMS (Premium Motor Spirit or petrol) or diesel, as the case may be.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairperson of DAPPMAN, Winifred Akpani, declared 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.
She said, “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.”
The commissioning of the vehicles on Monday, August 12, 2024, came only four days after the President held a closed-door meeting with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, CON, at the Aso Rock Villa, on August 8, 2024.
Chukwuma had informed that the commuting public would soon enjoy cheaper transportation through Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses.
“I’ve discussed with him (President Tinubu) and in a short time, the masses, the public will have enough CNG buses on the road,” he told journalists after the meeting.
The Nnewi-based auto manufacturer had hinted at an ongoing partnership between his company and the Federal Government and described the Presidential CNG Initiative as “the way forward” for Nigeria.
