‘Why We Deployed Compressed Natural Gas Buses On Campuses’

The Federal Government has come out with why it is deploying buses powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to campuses.

The justification was provided yesterday by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, during a commissioning at the University of Abuja.

Ekpo said the initiative was designed to provide immediate palliative relief to students while also aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s broader commitment to energy affordability, environmental responsibility, and transport sector reform.

“I hereby commission the Project CNG-Sprout buses for deployment to university campuses across the country. May they serve as vehicles not just of transport, but of hope, relief, and national progress,” he said.

The project, tagged CNG-Sprout, is the first phase of the Project CNG “Special Palliative Relief for Universities Transportation”, and is expected to be replicated across 20 federal universities nationwide.

“As we navigate energy reforms and shift towards cleaner fuels, cushioning the impact on vulnerable populations, particularly students, remains a key national priority,” Ekpo said, adding that the project was being implemented through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund in partnership with FEMADEC Energy Limited.

The minister added that the rollout of CNG buses is only the beginning of a wider plan to revolutionise Nigeria’s public transportation system.

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“In the coming months, we will be unveiling further incentives for CNG vehicle conversion, expanding refuelling infrastructure, and supporting local assembly and innovation in the CNG value chain. This is not just a transport solution, it is a jobs and industrialisation pathway,” he said.

In his remarks, the Managing Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) Oluwole Adama, applauded the roll out of the gas-powered buses in 20 universities, adding:

“As we unveil the first four facilities, here in Abuja, we must congratulate FEMADEC for delivering under pressure and against tight timelines”.

Last year, the federal government had made available to indigenous companies, about N122 billion improve Nigeria’s gas infrastructure and promote the use of gas in various sectors.

The compressed natural gas buses’ initiative is a fallout of that provision.