By Abdullahi Jalalludeen
The Federal Government is targeting universities across the country with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered transportation to reduce the cost of commuting for students and staff.
The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PiCNG and EV) disclosed this during a CNG awareness campaign at Bayero University Kano (BUK).
Representing the Executive Chairman of PiCNG and EV, Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed, Louisa Afu said the initiative, known as Project SPROUT, would introduce affordable and cleaner transportation solutions in participating universities.
Afu said the project would involve the construction of CNG refuelling stations and vehicle conversion centres, alongside the phased deployment of CNG-powered buses and tricycles within and around university campuses.
She said the programme, implemented in partnership with FEMADEC Energy and the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), was designed to address rising transportation costs affecting students and staff.
Afu said free CNG bus rides were offered to BUK students as part of the awareness campaign, allowing them to experience the technology and seek clarification on its safety, operation and benefits.
She urged the students to become ambassadors of CNG transportation, stressing that public acceptance would be critical to the success of the clean-energy transition.
The Project Coordinator of MDGIF-PiCNG projects at FEMADEC Energy, Mr Ovoke Obire, said the organisation was supervising the construction of CNG stations and conversion centres in different parts of the country.
Obire said MDGIF was funding construction of the facilities, while PiCNG was providing buses and tricycles for transportation services in participating institutions.
He added that subsidised CNG conversion kits would be provided to university staff, with up to 1,200 kits expected for each participating institution.
He said FEMADEC was collaborating with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to obtain necessary licences and had trained personnel across several regions to support the implementation and maintenance of the facilities.
The Dean of Student Affairs, BUK, Mukhtar Ibrahim Bunza, commended the initiative, saying it would help address transportation challenges faced by students.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the intervention, describing affordable campus transportation as an important step toward reducing financial pressure on students.
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