On Sunday, September 29, 2024, the Nigerian government rolled out 64 buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG), promising to increase bus provisions in the 2025 budget to N225 billion from N130 billion.
The 64 buses were rolled out ahead of the October 1 Independence celebration.
The minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun, disclosed that the initiative is part of the governmentâs plans to harness the countryâs abundant natural resources and reduce its over-reliance on petrol.
According to the minister, the president had promised to intervene in the economy and create a microeconomic policy to ease Nigerians’ hardships.
He stressed that the action shows a significant step in controlling inflation.
Edun said CNG vehicles cost one-third of petrol vehicles, stating that the government will implement policies to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.
He assured Nigerians that the government would not abandon the countryâs natural resources.
BusinessDay reports that Mohammed Idris, the minister of Information and National Orientation, stressed that the commissioning of the buses fulfils President Bola Tinubuâs promise to labour unions to ease public transport and reduce the hardship Nigerians face due to subsidy removal.
Idris noted that the government released the buses to mark the countryâs 64th independence anniversary and asked Nigerians to expect more from the government.
According to the Information minister, the government is aiming for a 60% reduction in the cost of public transportation and is encouraging the transition from petrol to cleaner energy.
The Nigerian government has been championing the transition to CNG as an alternative to petrol following the removal of subsidies.
The government recently listed free CNG conversion centres for commercial and private vehicle owners.
The government also began the distribution of free conversion kits to transport operators across the country.
Experts believe CNG is one of the cleanest and cheapest energy sources for vehicles and the environment.
The Nigerian government has pegged the price of CNG at N230 per litre, reports say.
TimesNow.com.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Federal Government unveiled a plan on Friday to improve the infrastructure for compressed natural gas and reduce transportation costs by more than 40%.
According to a ChannelsTV report, this programme was formally launched in Abuja on Friday at a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding.
Michael Oluwagbemi, the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative programme director, spoke at the ceremony and emphasised the government’s commitment to providing cheap transportation despite rising fuel prices.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at TimesNow.com.ng
