Nigeria’s drive to achieve energy security and transition to cleaner energy has received a boost with the donation of 30 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the NNPC Foundation.
Twenty of the buses were donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), while NNPC donated ten. They were all assembled locally by Innoson Motors.
Earlier, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) had over the weekend presided over the launch of the Presidential CNG Initiative’s (Pi-CNG) Conversion Incentive Program for rideshare sector, alongside the introduction of the MY-CNG App.
In his remarks, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu thanked DAPPMAN and NNPC Foundation for the donation.
He went on further to note that commercial vehicles account for about 80% of Nigeria’s petrol demand, costing the country trillions of naira monthly.
The President argued that the adoption of CNG would significantly reduce this burden and achieve prosperity for Nigerians.
“It is a great joy for me to receive these buses on behalf of the government as they represent a significant innovation to the transportation system.”
“Utilising natural gas to power our transportation industry is the next way to go. With our gas, if we work harder, to be productive and innovative, utilising CNG vehicles is an economic necessity that we should embrace,” he said.
The President further said he noted the yearnings of many ordinary Nigerians on transportation, and thanked INNOSON Motors and others who were committed to changing the narrative in the country’s transportation industry.
He continued: “If we can enhance our energy competitiveness and bring about transformative changes like this, we will definitely be able to achieve the prosperity that we are working hard to accomplish for our people.”
“Countries like India have mandated the use of CNG for commercial vehicles since 2004 and in Nigeria, commercial vehicles make up about 80 per cent of our petrol demand costing us trillions of Naira each 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,” he said.
Speaking on the donation, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, expressed excitement about the foundation’s involvement in the project, stating that it aligned with their focus areas of energy and the environment.
He said, “We committed 10 CNG buses to DAPPMAN which is what we have delivered today. We are excited to be part of this initiative. Although it is an NNPC initiative, for us in the foundation, we are really committed to our area of focus which is energy and the environment.”
Arukwe highlighted the significance of the CNG buses to the economy, noting that fueling the buses is more cost-effective compared to conventional fuels.
She emphasised that the use of CNG buses will greatly reduce transportation fares, ultimately benefiting the public and boosting the economy.
“It’s very significant because for example filling those 10 buses will cost a little money. We know that apart from being clean, CNG is much cheaper, because it is cheaper to fuel the vehicle the price is going to be way down. So, for the public this is the way to go.”