President Bola Tinubu has directed the mandatory procurement of Compressed Natural-Gas-powered (CNG) vehicles by all Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said Tinubu gave the directive on Monday during the fifth Federal Executive Council (FEC) of 2024 at the State House in Abuja.
The Tinubu administration resuscitated the CNG conversion initiative agreed between the Federal Government and the Organised Labour in 2021 at the wake of the strain inflicted on the economy by the removal of fuel subsidy last year.
During government/Labour negotiations from June 2023, the administration tabled the resuscitation of the conversion process, backing it with a funded process, starting with the importance and conversion of vehicles, as well as increasing CNG fueling stations nationwide.
In October 2023, the Federal Government launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi) at the Presidential Villa, marking the occasion with the donation of two CNG-powered buses to the management of the State House.
However, in his statement on Monday, Ngelale said the new directive to ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals, was in line with President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring energy security, drive utility, and cut high fuel costs.
It further said President Tinubu had vowed that there will be no turning back in the energy reforms initiated by his administration
“In line with his commitment to ensure energy security, drive utility, and cut high fuel costs, President Bola Tinubu has directed the mandatory procurement of compressed-natural-gas-powered vehicles by all government ministries, departments, and agencies.
“The President’s directive is also in furtherance of Nigeria’s effort to transition to cleaner energy as CNG-enabled vehicles have been adjudged to produce lower emissions, even as they present a more affordable alternative for Nigerian energy consumers.
“Addressing members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the State House on Monday, President Tinubu affirmed that there is no turning back in the energy reforms initiated by his administration”, the statement said.
Quoting the President, the statement further said: “This nation will not progress forward if we continue to dance on the same spot. We have the will to drive the implementation of CNG adoption across the country, and we must set the example as public officials in leading the way to that prosperous future that we are working to achieve for our people. It starts with us, and in seeing that we are serious, Nigerians will follow our lead”.
The statement also said the President had directed organs of the Federal Government to reject all memoranda by any member of the FEC to seek purchase of petrol-powered vehicles.
