Enugu govt to introduce CNG buses – Official

The Enugu State Government says it will soon introduce Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of its efforts to preserve the environment and make transportation affordable for residents.

The Commissioner for Transportation in Enugu State, Obi Ozor, disclosed while briefing reporters after the State Executive Council meeting on Friday.

Mr Ozor said apart from the CNG buses, the state government was also building the supporting infrastructure to ensure ease of operation and safety of commuters.

The commissioner stressed that the government was making efforts to support private sector investment in the transportation space.

“The State Executive Council resolved that it is very important for the state and her citizens to begin the process of transitioning from petrol to CNG which saves about half of the cost of petrol in our transportation, thereby reducing the cost of transportation for our people.

“All these are geared towards bringing a safe, affordable and sustainable transportation system. This ties into the infrastructure that is underway – the bus terminals, improved bus shelters, the internet of things and gadgets in these buses that will allow us to be able to know where our citizens are and make sure that they are safe from any incident,” he said.

“The state is also creating an enabling environment to attract the right investors within the CNG space and the state has already done that with partnership with Greenville Energy.”

Mr Ozor further announced that the government was already constructing a CNG mother station at Ugwu Onyeama with the capacity to serve the entire South-east.

The commissioner added that construction of ancillary stations that will look like petrol stations will begin in a matter of weeks.

Creation of new ministry

Also, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chidiebere Onyia, said the state government has created the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to oversee investment in the energy and mineral sector.

Mr Onyia, a professor, stressed that the creation of the new ministry was in response to the planned introduction of the CNG buses and enactment of Enugu State Electricity Law (2023) which requires setting up of an independent regulator.

The SSG added that the law also requires that the new ministry handles all engagements related to energy and mineral resource in the state.

“Considering the level of mineral resources availability in Enugu State, the government had decided, at the end of the State Executive Meeting today (Friday), to now create this ministry and the mandate includes oversight of most of our investment opportunities within the solid mineral space and also to help catalyse investments in the energy space,” he said.

“The state executives resolved that this new Ministry would take effect immediately.”

Connecting the dots

There has been clamour for a switch from petrol vehicles to CNG vehicles following the rise in petrol prices in Nigeria.

Last month, the Nigerian government inaugurated the CNG Initiative’s Conversion Incentive Programme in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The initiative seeks to help vehicles switch their energy source from petrol to CNG.

The government, on Friday, ramped up the adoption of CNG as a cleaner, more affordable alternative energy to petrol in the country.