The Nigerian government has taken delivery of newly manufactured Compressed Natural Gas, CNG buses.
The government sees this feat as a significant innovation in the nation’s transport infrastructure.
At the unveiling in Abuja on Monday, President Bola Tinubu says utilizing natural gas to power the transportation industry is a major economic necessity.
While thanking Innoson Motors for delivering the convertible buses, President Tinubu noted that about 80 percent of petrol demand in the country costs trillions of naira each month for commercial vehicles.
He thanked INNOSON and other vehicle manufacturers for helping to change the narrative.
“If we can enhance our energy competitiveness and bring about transformative changes like this, we would definitely be able to achieve the prosperity that we are working hard to accomplish for our people.
These buses along with the CNG and being convertible is very encouraging and promising to enhance our transportation system. Countries like India have mandated CNG for commercial vehicles since 2004 and in Nigeria, commercial vehicles make up about 80 percent 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.”
Presenting the buses earlier, Chairperson of Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN),
Winifred Akpani, expressed delight that the hybrid CNG buses were manufactured and delivered by an indigenous company, Innoson motors.
She stressed that the buses are capable transporting 100 people and can equally run on diesel.
And to ensure proper maintenance and durability, Mrs Akpani said each bus will have two drivers, who will be trained at the facility that they have been manufactured, with direct supervision of DAPPMAN.
“And we continue to assure this government of our full support as marketers. We will continue to go the extra mile to ease the problems of all of us not just the downtrodden but everybody.
“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 trained at the facility that they have been manufactured”.
She explained that the DAPPMAN has so far delivered thirty out of the 50 buses promised last year , adding that the association hopes to deliver a hundred.
