The Presidential CNG Initiative has started visits to key vehicle assembly plants as part of the Federal Government’s plan to boost the use of CNG-powered vehicles in the country.
On Wednesday, the Presidential CNG Initiative team assessed the capacity of major car manufacturing partners in the country.
During a tour of the Mikano Car Assembly plant in Ogun State, the Programme Director/Chief Executive Officer of the P-CNG Initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi, described Mikano as one of the manufacturing partners committed to supporting the government’s move to CNG automobiles.
“At the Mikano factory here, we have seen not just capacity, but the utilisation of gas, which the president has been talking about. For example, this factory is running on gas 24/7, and that shows that you cannot just use the gas to power your transportation sector, but you can even use it to power your economy,” he said.
He said although many Nigerians are still doubtful of the functionality of this CNG, it works efficiently and is cost-effective.
Oluwagbemi added that other manufacturers were also helping to ensure that the objectives of the project were realised, adding that the committee would be inspecting other manufacturers.
“In Victoria Island, Lekki, there’s another manufacturer we’re working with. On Lagos-Badagry Expressway, on May 30, we’re going to be there to inspect another manufacturer, assembling the CNG tricycles. Much later in next month, we’re going to be seeing the EV manufacturing for trailer trucks being done,” Oluwagbemi said.
Oluwagbemi said that Nigeria with 220 million people should not rely on importation for all its materials.
According to him, Nigeria is now making great use of its natural gas resources for industrialisation.
“All of these things, of course, there would be hiccups, there would be issues. But we would go back inwards and solve those issues. And we would move forward as a nation,” he stated.
According to him, this is the decade of gas, “and we are going to make it possible by improving and increasing the confidence of our people in what the president is saying. And that’s why we are here,”
Also speaking, the Chairman, Mikano International, Mofid Karameh, said the company was on the right track by supporting government’s plan to ensure more people embrace CNG and electric vehicles.
He said that since the removal of fuel subsidy, the use of gas has increased and that has helped to save foreign exchange for the country.
Karameh said that Mikano has continued to expand its operations to other parts of the country to improve access to more CNG buses and support the government’s initiative.
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