The Federal Government has launched the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Keke Napep, as part of an effort to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with the SIMBA Group of Companies (Nigeria), and the ECOMEAD ACRES, launched the CNG Keke on Friday in Abuja.
The keke is said to consume far less fuel compared to the existing tricycles that use petrol, as such will cut down the cost of transportation to the barest minimum.
Briefing journalists, the Director General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the project is focused on touching the lives of the ordinary Nigerians especially those living in the rural areas, and in consonant with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
The DG said the federal government had established about 10,000 CNG stations across the country to ensure the availability of the compressed natural gas to the users of the newly launched tricycles.
He said: “This press conference is to address the very important issue of transportation, as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy. It is the policy of the government to provide immediate succour in terms of palliative.
“The President in his address to the nation several times reiterated the fact that a lot of interventions are on foot regarding how to reduce the impact the subsidy removal has had on all of us.
“And also, the issue of reducing our dependence on petroleum products as the only means of powering our automobiles was paramount in his address, and that has been at the forefront of the policy that the government is pursuing at the immediate.
“Related to that is the introduction of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative source to power our automobiles. You also recall that the federal government as we speak is accelerating the process of bringing CNG powered buses to the country. And apart from that about 10,000 CNG filling stations across the country are put in place, so that we can have CNG as an alternative source of powering our automobiles.
“We all know the role that Keke NAPEP has come to play as a means of transportation in this country, especially for those who live in rural areas. Millions of Nigerians on a daily basis commute using the Keke NAPEP. So, it is a thing of joy that we are having this as an immediate solution, by having a local assembly for Keke NAPEP powered by CNG.”
The CEO of ECOMEAD ACRES, Kayode Oyin-Zubair said: “The CNG is environment friendly, and it will ameliorate the problems of Nigerians. We have put in. place mechanism to get them to the 774 LGAs across the country.”
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