FG to give transport unions 50% subsidy on CNG vehicle conversion kits

The federal government says it will subsidise compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle conversion kits for members of transport unions.

Micheal Oluwagbemi, programme director and chief executive officer of the Presidential Initiative on CNG,  said the government has procured over 20,000 conversion kits that will soon be deployed.

He said the conversion incentive programme will start with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).

“We are launching what we called the Conversion Incentive Programme with members of the NURTW, RTEAN, and NARTO being our immediate focus,” he said.

“This is because they are the operators in the road transport sector providing 90 per cent of the transportation in the country to members of the public.

Oluwagbemi said the conversion kits will be available to the transport unions at a 50 percent discount, adding that installation cost is free. 

“We are already negotiating with our partners who will initiate that project in the next week,” he said.

“We have already identified eight conversion centres in four states, namely Kwara, Lagos FCT, and Rivers that will pilot the programme.”

On his part, Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, commended the federal government’s initiative to help the union workers switch from petrol-powered vehicles to CNG-powered vehicles.

Sani, who was represented by Ibrahim Hamza, commissioner for works, said transportation is one of the major promoters of socio-economic activities in the state.