President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated 30 hybrid power compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
In a post on X, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said the buses were inaugurated on Monday at the State House in Abuja.
Onanuga said the CNG buses were donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
“Twenty of the buses were donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), while NNPC donated 10,” Onanuga said.
The special adviser said the buses were assembled locally by Innoson Motors.
On August 8, Innocent Chukwuma, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Innoson Motors, visited the president and discussed the company’s pioneering work in CNG vehicles.
Chukwuma said there are ongoing partnerships between the government and Innoson Motors, promising that the brand would soon be visible nationwide.
He expressed confidence that the government’s focus on CNG is a transformative initiative for Nigeria, pledging that CNG buses will soon be on the roads.
The federal government started canvassing for the adoption of CNG after the president announced the end of subsidised premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, on May 29, 2023.
On July 31, 2023, Tinubu said his administration made provision to invest N100 billion in the acquisition of 3,000 units of 20-seater buses powered by CNG.
Three weeks later, Tinubu announced the establishment of the CNG initiative, after which, the federal government announced that value-added tax (VAT) would be waived on CNG bus purchases, with plans to waive duty on parts
Also, to push for the adoption of CNG, on May 13, the federal executive council (FEC) directed all agencies to procure CNG-powered vehicles.
Photos from the inauguration on Monday:
