Ogun set for gas-powered mass transit as engineers arrive from India

• IPMAN secures funding from seven banks to float CNG stations

A team of technical engineers from India has arrived Ogun State to begin process of converting vehicles from fuel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

The move signals commencement of the E-Mobility and Gas Mobility Programme of the state government, which involves conversion of mass transit buses from fuel to gas; and tricycles and motorcycles to electric.

The four-man team will work on the pilot project, initiate first phase of the Gas Mobility Programme and prepare a process map to scale up and carry out a phased implementation on all commercial buses in the state.

It would be recalled that the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration in March, this year, in partnership with Nigerian Transport Solutions Limited (NGTSL), took delivery of CNG conversion kits for the pilot phase of mass transit buses.

The CNG project is said to demonstrate commitment of the administration to a cleaner economy and ensure cheaper means of transportation, especially with removal of subsidy on fuel by the Federal Government in May.

Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, in a statement, yesterday, said the engineers were in the process of starting the conversion.

According to him, buses will start running on CNG in coming days, in line with the promise by Abiodun that the project would commence in the first week of August.

He said: “The CNG team is on ground. I was part of the team that received the CNG kits on behalf of the government early in the year and I visited the project site this morning (Tuesday).

“The aim is to improve and modernise bus operations in Ogun State through conversion of buses to CNG by equipping them with latest technology to improve environmental and operational performance.”

Meanwhile, national president of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Okoronkwo, said members of the union have secured facilities from seven banks to build CNG conversion facilities.

“About seven banks have indicated interest to provide funds to get CNG programmes off the ground. We are required to pay 15 per cent of the cost of the facility. The remaining can be got from the banks, and we can spread the payment. That initiative will begin to roll out very soon,” he said.

While revealing that the association has begun data gathering on domestic consumption of petrol, he called on government and other stakeholders in the oil and gas value chain to focus on gas as an energy source.