By Francesca Hangeior.
The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has listed the benefits of the Compressed National Gas initiative to include a “cleaner environment, cheaper fuel for the people.”
The governor spoke Tuesday during the opening of a weeklong Skill Development and Training for Auto Technicians in the state on the conversion of petrol vehicles to CNG-powered vehicles.
The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative recently began the conversion of petrol-powered vehicles to CNG and the distribution of conversion kits in some states.
The training is a collaborative arrangement between the National Automotive Design and Development Council and the state government.
Oyebanji, who was represented by the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, said, “The President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government and the state government have in collaboration ensured that Ekiti State is in the forefront of this endeavour and we continue to ensure that our people get the best in terms of the advantages.”
The governor said that the state was already using CNG to power its independent power plant and urged motorists and vehicle owners in the state to embrace Compressed National Gas to power their automobiles in view of the inherent advantages.
“CNG is not strange to us, we are just adding gas for mobile vehicles. We are already in a good position as far as CNG is concerned. Use of CNG will enable our people to have access to cheaper fuel to power their vehicles,” he added.
NADDC Director General, Joseph Osanipin, said that the training was aimed at ensuring capacity building and skill upgrades for technicians and youths to enable them to cope with the dynamic automotive industry.
Osanipin, who said that Tinubu established the PCNGI in furtherance of his commitment to ease the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians, said there were a lot of benefits along the CNG value chain.