In the bid to reduce the cost of transportation fares in Nigeria, the federal government has donated 64 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to the representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) for commuter service.
The donation was announced On Sunday, September 29, 2024, in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the federal government has donated 64 CNG buses to Labour Unions, NANS for commuter service.
The CNG buses were handed over on Sunday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary.
Present at the handing-over event was the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu; and the Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande.
Edun said that the buses were distributed under the auspice of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PCNGi) to fulfill President Bola Tinubu’s promise of providing affordable and efficient transportation after the removal of fuel subsidies that increased transportation costs.
He added that the CNG initiative will enable cleaner energy while leveraging its energy resources for industrialisation, alleviate poverty, and support macroeconomic reforms to ensure economic stability within the country.
“Today marks another critical milestone in the policies of President Tinubu. It is a transition to cleaner fuel. It is for Nigerians. The emphasis is on mass transit. There is a focus on intervening on the side of workers so that they have cheaper transport to cope with rising prices.” He said.
“We’ve had an initial spike in inflation; now it has peaked, and it is coming down. Mr. President and the whole team are determined to ensure that we keep inflation coming down, and this is one of the major ways.” He added.
The Minister further disclosed that the federal government has plans to distribute over 500 CNG buses and 100 electric vehicles to keep the economy moving. Moreover, motorists can now fill a tank for N15,000 instead of N50,000 or more.
“This is all to get prices down and get the economy moving again,” he said
“Today, it is CNG. Tomorrow, it will be helping farmers cope with the remainder of the wet season planting and then the dry season planting, starting from November, with fertilizer, inputs, seeds, and herbicides.” He added.
