By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja

The Federal Government on Wednesday revealed its plan to convert one million vehicles from Petrol to Compressed National Gas (CNG) by 2025.

The Minister for Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu-Abubakar stated this in Lokoja during the Conversion Incentive Program (CIP) and Bus handover ceremony at the Lokoja Mega Terminal on Wednesday.

Shuaibu said the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is real, as the president is taking steps towards ameliorating the suffering of the people arising from the fuel subsidy removal.

He also said plans are underway to make Ajaokuta Steel a gas hub for the nation.

“We have a proposal that the President will be looking at. The proposal will make the Ajaokuta steel the gas hub for the nation.

“The strategic location of Ajaokuta steel will enable it produce enough gas has that will serve the Kogi – Kaduna – Kano (KKK) projects, and other gas projects across the country.

“Ajaokuta Steel Company will play a significant role as Ajaokuta is a hub for gas which will be transported to other areas.

He noted that the CNG initiatives which will bring a reduction of 40 percent in transportation through CNG vehicles is a good development.

He stressed that Nigeria’s economy was at the verge of collapsing, forcing President Tinubu to take the decision of removing fuel subsidy to safe the nation.

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo said the presentation of 10 CNG buses from the federal government and free conversion for commercial vehicles in the state will reduce cost of transportation in the state.

Governor Ododo who commended the effort of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the initiative said the state has keyed into the initiative to reduce high of transportation in the state.

Ododo who was represented by his deputy, Salifu Oyibo noted that his administration will continue to support and key into any initiatives that will profit the citizens of the state.

“Our administration is determined to achieve that through our synergy with all the road union transport in the state. Under this new initiative, 250 youths selected from across the 21 local government councils of the state will be provided with cutting-edge training in critical areas such as CNG conversion, welding and fabrication, automobile mechatronics, solar system installation and more.

“This programme will commence as soon as we tidy up the modalities with our proposed partner, the Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute (NKFI)”.

The Project Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG), Engr. Micheal Oluwagbemi said Kogi will witness reduction in transportation fair with the initiative.

“The conversation is free as promised by the Federal government. We should focus on the opportunity to reduce cost of transportation. The project at the initiative is to ameliorate the suffering of the people.

“All commercial vehicles will be converted freely and 30 vehicles belonging to the state government will also be converted free.”

The ceremony ended with the signing of agreement between the Federal Government and three companies that will undertake the free CNG conversion for commercial vehicles in the state.