President Bola Tinubu has mandated that all future vehicle, generator, or tricycle acquisitions by the federal government and its agencies must utilize either compressed natural gas (CNG), solar power, or electric energy sources.
According to a statement by Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale on Monday, the President’s directive is also in furtherance of Nigeria’s effort to transition to cleaner energy, as CNG-enabled vehicles have been adjudged to produce lower emissions, presenting a more affordable alternative for Nigerian energy consumers.
According to the Statement, while addressing members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the State House in Abuja on Monday, Tinubu re-affirned the government’s commitment to green energy.
“This nation will not progress forward if we continue to dance on the same spot. We have the will to drive the implementation of CNG adoption across the country, and we must set the example as public officials in leading the way to that prosperous future that we are working to achieve for our people.
“It starts with us, and in seeing that we are serious, Nigerians will follow our lead,” the President stated.
The President further directed the rejection of all memos brought forward by members of FEC seeking the purchase of traditional petrol-dependent vehicles, tasking the affected members of the Council to go back and diligently seek value-driven procurements of CNG-compliant vehicles.
The statement added that the President remained committed to effectively harnessing the nation’s gas potential, alleviating the burden of high transportation costs on the masses while enhancing the standard of living of all Nigerians.
It has been reported that the recent order has impacted new requests made by the Nigeria Customs Service and the Shipper’s Council. These agencies had requested approval to purchase hundreds of operational vehicles powered by petrol; however, they received approval for their requests with the directive that the vehicles must be powered by CNG.
Also, a request by the Federal Capital Territory to buy petrol generators was approved, but the council insisted they must be powered by CNG or solar.
