Federal Government Launches CNG, Electric Vehicle Initiative In Kano

The Federal Government has launched its CNG and electric vehicle programme in Kano to promote cleaner energy alternatives.

The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles has officially commenced in Kano State, marking a key step in the federal government’s push to reduce transport costs and expand cleaner energy options nationwide.

The state Governor Abba Yusuf who unveiled the program on Thursday in Kano explained that the initiative formed part of broader efforts to support the Federal Government’s policy on expanding the use of alternative and clean energy solutions in the transportation sector.

He said the state Government remained committed to providing an efficient transport system that will not only ease movement for residents but also reduce transportation costs and support environmental sustainability.

Speaking at the event, the National CNG Programme Coordinator, Barrister Isma’il Ahmad, described the CNG and EV Northern Corridor as one of the Federal Government’s key interventions aimed at transforming transportation and making it more affordable and environmentally friendly.

He said the rollout in Kano was designed to extend the conversion of commercial and public transport vehicles to CNG, while also laying the groundwork for electric vehicle adoption across the state.

“When we started this journey, the mandate from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was very clear. He said to me:“I will be remembered as the President who removed fuel subsidy, but I also want to be remembered as the President who introduced a sustainable alternative through CNG and electric mobility.

“The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, now PI-CNG & EV, was initially established to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal. But as implementation progressed, it became clear that this initiative was about something much bigger, and that is accelerating Nigeria’s transition to cleaner, cheaper, and locally available energy for transportation.

According to him, “Over the last 20 months, PI-CNG & EV has worked closely with industry players, state governments, financial institutions, transport operators, and OEMs to activate the gas-to-transport ecosystem across the country.”

“Our focus in the early phase was to build the foundation for nationwide adoption. That work has included the rollout of the Conversion Programme across more than 28 states, support for over 58 refuelling stations, deployment of thousands of CNG buses and tricycles across key transport corridors, onboarding of over 300 conversion partners nationwide, including about 41 centres here in Kano, and the direct training of more than 7,000 Nigerians. He further explained.