The Presidency on Sunday said it was ready to launch critical assets for deployment and launch of the compressed natural gas (CNG) initiative before May 29 when President Bola Tinubu turns one year in office.

Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a statement titled ‘Presidential CNG initiative set for rollout.’

The initiative, which is part of the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting alternative energy sources, aims to provide affordable and environmentally friendly mass transit options.

The Federal Government has earmarked N100 billion from the N500 billion palliative budget to procure 5,500 CNG vehicles (including buses and tricycles), 100 electric buses, and over 20,000 CNG conversion kits. Additionally, plans are underway to develop CNG refueling stations and electric charging infrastructure nationwide.

A key component of the initiative is the establishment of a new plant on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where tricycles will be assembled, while Brilliant EV will handle the assembly of electric vehicles upon receiving Semi Knocked Down components. 

Notably, four plants owned by JET, Mikano, Mojo, and Brilliant EV are involved in assembling the semi-knocked-down components of the CNG buses.