By Hadiza Yusuf

The Federal Government has announced plans to provide free training for engineering students in Nigerian universities on the conversion of petrol-powered vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Louisa Afu, Manager, Investor Relations, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PiCNG & EV), Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed, disclosed this on Thursday during an awareness programme at Bayero University, Kano (BUK).

Afu said the initiative was part of the Special Palliative Relief on University Transportation (SPROUT), a programme designed to provide cheaper and more accessible transportation for students across Nigerian universities.

She said the training would equip engineering students with practical skills in CNG vehicle conversion and had been incorporated into the curriculum of participating institutions.

“For the engineering students especially, FEMADEC is going to be doing free education on the conversion programme. It is already instituted into the school curriculum, so they will be teaching engineering students how to convert vehicles and develop a skill for themselves,” she said.

Afu said the initiative was designed not only to provide more affordable transportation for students but also to expose them to opportunities in the emerging CNG mobility sector.

According to her, Project SPROUT was being introduced in phases, beginning with 20 universities, with plans to expand to more institutions across the country.

She said the programme would involve the establishment of CNG refuelling stations and vehicle conversion centres, as well as the deployment of CNG-powered buses and tricycles to participating universities.

Afu also encouraged students to embrace the initiative, describing CNG vehicles as safe, cleaner and more affordable.

“CNG is safe, it is cleaner, it is affordable, and it is sustainable,” she said.

She explained that the cylinders used in CNG vehicle conversion were specially designed for the purpose and were different from ordinary gas cylinders.

“The cylinders we get are not every kind of cylinders you can use for conversions. These are Type 1 cylinders, and they are bulletproof,” she said.

Also speaking, the Dean of Student Affairs, Bayero University, Prof. Ridwanu Mukhtar Bunza, expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the intervention.

Bunza said the initiative would make transportation within the university and between campuses easier for students.

“We are really very happy and grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating this important intervention aimed at improving the welfare of students, particularly by providing a very low-cost or affordable transportation system on our campuses,” he said.

He said the impact of government interventions was already being felt by students, noting that the university had previously benefited from 20 electric tricycles provided through a TETFund intervention.

According to him, BUK had also received interventions from the PiCNG & EV initiative aimed at further improving transportation for students.

“The impact is glaring. We now have an affordable transportation system, and it has gone a long way in improving access to transportation,” he added.

The programme is being implemented through a partnership among the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, FEMADEC Energy and MDGIF.