Nigeria has launched and inaugurated 2,322 gas-powered Made-in-Nigeria buses bought by the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
The buses were inaugurated by the Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, who gave a speech declaring the importance of innovation in any thriving economy.
The buses which have since made headlines in Nigeria were acquired by the transportation association to serve 774 local government areas within Nigeria.
While inaugurating the buses, the Director stated that “It is very exciting to see that all the vehicles were built in Nigeria by an indigenous company.”
” I hereby congratulate the Executive National Chairman of RTEAN, Alhaji Musa Maitakobi, for the commitment to buy the Nigerian-built OMAA vehicles,” Aliyu added.
The director-general also urged all Nigerian transport organizations to follow the lead of the RTEAN and participate in the National Gas Expansion Program by purchasing Made-in-Nigeria Gas-Powered Vehicles.
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Aliyu explained that what was seen was a testament to the fact that the NADDC’s implementation of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) is delivering benefits.
The CNG-powered vehicles produced locally by OMAA Motors will make transportation more affordable for commuters, as well as save lives and protect the environment because it is a cleaner fuel than petrol and diesel.
According to Aliyu, “As one of the 195 signatories to the Paris Accord on greenhouse gas mitigation, Nigeria must take advantage of its vast natural gas reserves as a transition fuel.”
Recall that Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), a Nigerian carmaker, earlier presented the IVM CITY BUS 6115, said to be the country’s first locally produced compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle.
According to the Manufacturer, Condensed Natural Gas (CNG) is used to power the 55-seater IVM CITY BUS 6115. This motor fuel is 50% less expensive and 50% cleaner than typical fuels like diesel and gasoline.
“I am doing city buses for NNPC. The one that will use gas. 100 units. I am producing it from start to finish. It will be purely gas. But I made it in such a way that in case there is scarcity of gas, it will use diesel. So, it can change as an alternative,” the Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma said.
He also further revealed that the company is producing 100 units of CNG city buses for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to cushion the effects of this year’s planned fuel subsidy removal.
