President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated 30 hybrid power compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Over a quarter of his four year tenure is gone without the buses which are capable of cushioning the effects of hardship the removal has brought on millions of Nigerians
Last year in the heat of cries over sudden subsidy removal, the president announced that his government has budgeted over a N100b for 3,000 units of 20 seater CNG powered buses.
While this was welcome by a few, Nigerians hope for cheaper public transportation alternative has continually appear slow in coming to life.
On Monday, August 12, 2024, the president inaugurared 30 hybrid buses donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in Abuja
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 “Twenty of the buses were donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), while NNPC donated 10.
The special adviser said the buses — with the capacity to transport 3,000 passengers — were assembled locally by Innoson Motors.
Also, in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Tinubu said utilising natural gas to power the nation’s transportation industry would reduce transportation costs, enhance productivity, and save the nation trillions of naira spent on the importation of petrol and diesel.
”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,” Tinubu said.
Speaking on the level of petrol consumption in Nigeria, Tinubu said commercial vehicles account for about 80 percent of the nation’s petroleum demand, adding that several countries have switched to CNG for their transportation systems and are already reaping the benefits.
“Countries like India have mandated CNG for all commercial vehicles since 2004. In Nigeria, commercial vehicles make up about 80 percent of our petroleum demand, costing us trillions of naira every month,” the president said.
“The solution is here. We have it. We will work on it. We promise you, definitely, things will get better. Prosperity will be achieved.”
Tinubu also commended Innoson Motors for its commitment to the CNG initiative.
Also speaking at the inauguration, Winifred Akpani, chairperson of DAPPMAN, expressed her association’s support for the administration’s commitment to enhancing the nation’s transportation system.
Akpani said it would lead to lower transportation costs.
”This batch of hybrid buses, which DAPPMAN is donating to the federal government, is in furtherance to our support for this administration’s resolve to address Nigeria’s energy challenges,” she said.
“We are proud to note that these buses have been designed, manufactured, and delivered by Innoson Motors, a Nigerian company.”
The rhetorical question is, aside the donated ones which were not procured from public coffers, where are the 3000 buses Tinubu promised.
Some analysts posit that the idea of subsidy removal before searching for cost effective alternatives was akin to putting the cart before the horse as the CNG and other alternatives ought to have been worked on ahead of the removal
