The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses and tricycles within and around university campuses nationwide to ease the rising cost of transportation for students and staff of tertiary institutions.
The Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, Ismaeel Ahmed, disclosed this on Thursday during a CNG awareness campaign at Bayero University Kano.
He explained that the campaign would be extended to universities across the country under a new campus mobility programme aimed at promoting affordable and environmentally friendly transportation.
The initiative, implemented in collaboration with FEMADEC Energy and the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), is designed to reduce the growing transportation expenses faced by students and staff of higher institutions.
Ahmed, who was represented by Ms. Louisa Afu, said the programme, known as Project SPROUT, would provide participating universities with access to cost-effective and cleaner transportation options.
“Project sprout is a university-focused clean and affordable mobility program, which is being implemented through a partnership between FEMADEC Energy, MDGIF and PiCNG & EV,” she said.
Afu stated that the project would include the establishment of CNG refuelling stations and vehicle conversion centres, alongside the gradual introduction of CNG-powered buses and tricycles to serve university communities.
She added that the programme would also educate the public about CNG technology and encourage students to adopt cleaner transportation alternatives.
“As you may recall, following Mr. President’s May 29th Inaugural address, and the subsequent removal of petrol subsidy, which led to the establishment of the PiCNG and EV, with the mandate to move the nation to clean energy and mobility solutions, while attracting investment,” she said.
Afu revealed that free rides on CNG-powered buses were provided to students of Bayero University Kano during the campaign, giving them an opportunity to experience the technology and seek clarification on its safety, operation and advantages.
“As you know, transportation is an important part of everyday life for students and staff of universities, and when the cost of transportation is high, it affects everyone,” she said.
She encouraged students to promote the adoption of CNG-powered transportation, noting that public acceptance would play a significant role in the success of the Federal Government’s clean-energy transition.
The Project Coordinator of MDGIF-PiCNG projects at FEMADEC Energy, Engineer Ovoke Obire, disclosed that the organisation was overseeing the development of CNG refuelling stations and vehicle conversion centres across various parts of the country.
Obire explained that while MDGIF was responsible for financing the construction of the stations and conversion centres, PiCNG would supply buses and tricycles to provide transportation services in participating institutions.
He further stated that subsidised CNG conversion kits would be made available to university staff, with each participating institution expected to receive up to 1,200 kits.
Also speaking, the Dean of Student Affairs at Bayero University Kano, Mukhtar Ibrahim Bunza, praised the initiative, saying it would help alleviate transportation challenges confronting students.
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the intervention, describing the provision of affordable campus transportation as a significant measure towards easing the financial burden on students.
