The Federal Government has handed over 64 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The handover ceremony took place on Sunday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary.
Speaking just before handing over the vehicles, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, who led the government delegation described the distribution of the buses as fulfilling President Bola Tinubu’s promise to provide affordable and efficient transportation to Nigerians after the removal of fuel subsidies under the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PCNGi).
He emphasised that the initiative is aimed at alleviating the burden on the poor and vulnerable and support macroeconomic reforms that would position the country on the path to economic stability.
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The Minister further explained that the symbolic handover of 64 buses on the eve of Nigeria’s National Day marks the beginning of a broader national rollout, with the plan to distribute over 500 CNG buses and 100 electric vehicles in the first instance.
He added that the CNG initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to cleaner energy while leveraging its energy resources for industrialisation.
‘Today marks another critical milestone in the policies of President Tinubu. It is a transition to cleaner fuel. It is for Nigerians. The emphasis is on mass transit. The minister said there is an emphasis on intervening on the side of workers so that they have cheaper transport to cope with rising prices.
”We’ve had an initial spike in inflation, now it has peaked, and it is coming down. Mr President and the whole team are determined to ensure that we keep inflation coming down, and this is one of the major ways.”
The Minister noted that the fuel cost for CNG-powered vehicles is about one-third of the fuel for petrol-powered vehicles, explaining that “motorists can now pay as low as N15,000 to fill a tank instead of N50,000 or more.
Michael Oluwagbemi, Programme Director/Chief Executive of PCNGi, said since its establishment one year ago, over 125 conversion centres have been established, compared to the initial seven.
He said investment in the sector has exceeded $175 million, with 12 new mother stations commissioned and 75 more under construction.
He said vehicle conversions are taking place at 53 centres in eight states even as he promised that centres would be expanded to all the 36 states and the FCT.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive of TUC, Comrade Nuhu Toro; NANS president, Comrade Lucky Emonefe; and the Head of International Desk, NLC, Comrade Uche Ekwe, commended President Tinubu for the gesture. They called for more CNG buses to be made available to the public.
Toro thanked the President for implementing the N70,000 new national minimum wage, saying, “This move is a significant step in alleviating the economic burden of Nigerian workers.”
On his part, NANS president Comrade Emonefe praised the government for its commitment to education and student welfare, citing the provision of a student loan scheme for higher education.
“Nigerian students are happy to be celebrating the 64th anniversary of independence. We are not only happy with the CNG buses; we believe that the current President loves the welfare of students and has shown his commitment to this.”
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