By Victoria Onehi
The Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, has lauded the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, as the Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGI) launched its pilot Conversion Incentive Programme and the handover of CNG buses to transporters in Kogi State.
Prince Audu, in his address at the inaugural launch of the CNG initiative programme on Wednesday in Lokoja, Kogi State, told indigenes of Kogi that the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Tinubu has been brought to their doorstep, noting that the CNG initiative of Mr. President seeks to reduce the cost of transportation by over 40 percent to cushion the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.
The Minister in a statement by the Head Press and PR in the Ministry Salamatu F. Jibaniya,disclosed that that plans are underway to make Ajaokuta one of the CNG hubs of Nigeria, as the Ministry is on the verge of presenting a proposal to Mr. President for the establishment of an Industrial Park within the Ajaokuta environ, which will also host a CNG park and a Free Trade Zone.
“Mr President said at his Independence Day speech that because Nigeria spends over $10billion annually on fuel subsidy, Nigeria was on the brink of an economic collapse, and therefore he needed to do something very quickly, which was why petroleum subsidy was removed. There are some challenges that have come with that, which is the high cost of food prices, and Mr. President has told all of us that he is doing something to reverse that trend to ensure that prices of food come down quickly, one of which is the provision of CNG Vehicles to Nigerians.
“Mr. President has mandated that we should have one million CNG vehicles and/or conversions, and it needs to be in place before the end of 2025. So,one million vehicles will be converted from petrol to gas in the next year, and this is very significant.
“As the Minister of Steel Development, I want to tell you some of the benefits of this CNG conversion site and the critical role Ajaokuta plays in that light. Ajaokuta is a gas hub for Nigeria. There are gas lines passing from Warri all the way to Ajaokuta, from Ajaokuta to Kaduna and Kano (AKK Pipeline), meaning that there are billions of cubic feet of gas that are being transported from Ajaokuta to other parts of Nigeria annually.
“We are taking a proposal to Mr. President to declare Ajaokuta an Industrial park that will also have a CNG park which will be one of the CNG hubs in Nigeria. And instead of having situations where most of the CNG conversion centres and CNG parks are outside of Kogi State, Ajaokuta has the land, Ajaokuta has the gas, and Ajaokuta has the facility for conversion kit production. The Industrial park will attract steel companies to Ajaokuta. So, anything that we need is within our environs. And most importantly, that will create thousands of jobs for Kogites and Nigerians as a whole.
“So, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is here and will turn around the economy, therefore, the desire of Mr. President to grow the economy by $1 trillion by 2030, and we will achieve that by the special grace of God,” Prince Audu stated.
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo said that the CNG initiative is a significant milestone in the “Renewed Hope” Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, thanking the President for the initiative, which aims to reduce reliance on petrol, which would in turn alleviate the sufferings of the people.
Gov. Ododo, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Elder Joel Salifu , pledged the commitment of the state to the project, with a promise to train 250 youths in CNG conversion and empower them to enable them to key into global technologies.
The Program Director/Chief Executive of the P-CNGI, Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, said that the P-CNGI chose Kogi for its inaugural launch because the state beyond being a confluence state of water bodies is also significant in the transportation system as a link between the north and other parts of the country, and also hosts an important gas hub.
He said that the event was not designed just to reduce transportation fares for commercial drivers or fulfil Mr. President’s promise to ensure that transporters get their vehicles and tricycles converted for free, but also an opportunity for Nigerians to benefit from the abundant resources of the country, urging everyone to key into the transformative initiative of Mr. President.
