November 03, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has officially commissioned a pilot conversion centre for vehicles that will run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The Ministry of Transportation, in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, said the centre, which was commissioned in Abuja, is an initiative of the government to mitigate the effect of subsidy removal on petrol.
While launching the initiative at the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, said the adoption of a more environmentally friendly energy source like the CNG will reposition the transportation sector in urban cities across the country and put Nigeria in tandem with what the world desires at this time.
Alkali said Green House gas emissions pose health hazards and dire environmental consequences, and Nigeria can not afford to lag considering that she is a signatory to Green House Emission policy aimed at reducing carbon emission in the environment.
The facility is situated right at the premises of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Abuja.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, urged Nigerians to consider the conversion of vehicles to CNG as a symbol of a new beginning, adding that the CNG initiative is not only about the conversion of vehicles but also about generating employment opportunities.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of P-CNGi, Micheal Oluwagbemi, described the adoption of CNG as a significant development in diversifying the transportation sector from fuel dependency to natural gas.
Oluwagbemi emphasised that the CNG centre would pave the way for a more ecologically sustainable and economically prosperous future in Nigeria.
According to the P-CNGi Steering Committee, seven CNG conversion centres have been established in the country.
“Today, as we officially open the Abuja Conversion Centre, we go beyond the inauguration of a facility; we extend a hand to a greener, more sustainable, and affordable future. We are not just changing how we fuel our vehicles; we are changing lives, one job at a time,” Oluwagbemi said.
Acting Director, Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration in the Ministry of Transportation, Akhidenor Cynthia, represents both Alkali and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, at the occasion.
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