Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
The federal government has launched free Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bus rides for students of Bayero University (BUK) and others as part of efforts to ease transportation hardship in tertiary institutions.
The initiative was unveiled yesterday at BUK under Project SPROUT, a university-focused clean and affordable mobility programme being implemented by the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) in partnership with FEMADEC Energy and MD GIF.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Chairman of Pi-CNG & EV, Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed, his representative, Louisa Afu, said the programme was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to transition the nation to clean energy following the removal of fuel subsidy.
She said Project SPROUT was designed to introduce affordable transportation solutions in universities through the establishment of CNG refuelling stations, vehicle conversion centres, and deployment of buses and tricycles in phases.
According to her, transportation is an important part of everyday life for students and staff, and high cost affects everyone, hence the need for the intervention.
“What does this mean for you? It means we are working towards making transportation within and around the university more accessible and affordable,” she said.
Afu explained that the awareness campaign was also aimed at helping students understand how CNG works and why it was becoming an important part of Nigeria’s transition to cleaner mobility.
The Project Coordinator of MDGIF-PiCNG projects, Engr. Ovoke Obire, said their role is to supervise the building of CNG stations and conversion centres across the country.
He said, “We are also liaising with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to secure the required licensing for each of the facilities nationwide, as well as carrying out CNG awareness for students and lecturers on the initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”