By Egena Sunday Ode
President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the first set of 20 hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, describing them as economic necessity.
The commissioning ceremony took place shortly after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
The buses in the first batch were produced locally by Innoson Motors and donated by the Deport and Petroleum Product Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).
Five of the CNG buses were driven to the forecourt of the president’s office for commissioning ceremony.
Tinubu said the CNG buses are an economic necessity all Nigerians must embrace, adding that utilising natural gas to power Nigeria’s transportation industry is the next way to go.
He affirmed that many ordinary Nigerians are facing challenges of high cost of transportation, noting that the CNG powered buses will provide solution to the problems, citing the examples of India and other countries that have mandated CNG vehicles since 2024.
Tinubu said: “Countries like India have mandated CNG for all commercial vehicles since 2004. In Nigeria, commercial vehicle make up about 80 percent of our petrol demand costing us trillions of naira each month.
“The solution is here. We have it and we will work on it. We promise you definetely things will get better and prosperity will be achieved.”
President Tinubu stressed that the nation can enhance its energy competitiveness that would facilitate definite changes hence, resulting to prosperity and accomplishment for Nigerians.
He added: “It is a great Inspiration for me to recieve these buses on behalf of the government making it significant innovation to transportation system.
“Utilising natural gas to power Nigeria’s transportation industry is the next way to go.”
The President also assured that with the huge deposit of gas in Nigeria, the federal government would work towards achieving more productive and innovative CNG powered transportation system for the citizens.
“For many countries especially Nigeria with our own gas, we will work harder with productive and innovative ideas. It is an economic necessity that we should embrace. I noted the recent yearning of many ordinary Nigerians on transportation.
“We can enhance our energy competitiveness and bring about transformative changes. Like this, we would definitely be able to achieve prosperity that we are working hard to accomplish for our people,” he said.
President Tinubu noted that the donated Hybrid Powered CNG buses are convertible, describing the development as promising and a progressive lift to the Nigerian transportation system.
“That these buses along with the CNG are convertible is very encouraging and promising to enhance our transportation system,” the President added.
Commending Innoson Motors and members of DAPPMAN, he said:
“I thank Innosson Motors and others who have been committed to change the narratives in Nigeria.”
Earlier, Chairman of DAPPMAN, Winifred Akpani, had said the buses were designed, manufactured and delivered by Innoson Motors, a Nigerians Company in Nnewi, Anambra State.
She said that each of the buses is capable of transporting 100 people and is capable of using diesel as alternative fuel.
She assured the government of continued full support, saying DAPPMAN will continue to go extra mile to ease the problems of not just the down trodden but all Nigerians.
She said: “These are hybrid buses that will run on CNG. Each of these buses are capable transporting 100 people and they also have alternative use of diesel.”
“We believe that these buses will be put to use especially since we know that more donations are coming and we thank the President for this opportunity.
“I’ll like to state that as part of our delivery, we’ve made provision that each of these buses will have two drivers and we are going to have them trained at the facility that they have been manufactured.”
Hinting that more donations would be made in subsequent phases, the DAPPMAN Chairman added:
“We believe that these buses will be put to use especially since we know that more donations are coming and we thank the President for this opportunity.”
“We believe that these buses will be put to use especially since we know that more donations are coming and we thank the President for this opportunity,” Akpani stated.
