Innoson begins delivery of CNG buses to FG, with 25 units

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd (IVM) has commenced the delivery of the Compressed Natural Gas buses ordered by the Federal Government.

This is part of the Presidential CNG Initiative (PiCNG) designed to ease the effects of the withdrawal of fuel subsidy on the masses.

The delivery is coming about two weeks after the Federal Government formally placed an order for the CNG-powered buses following the visit of the Chairman/CEO of Innoson Vehicle, Chief Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, CON, to President Bola Tinubu.

President Bola Tinubu after the visit commissioned the first set of 30 Innoson CNG-powered city buses at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists at the factory in Nnewi shortly before flagging off the 100-seater CNG buses on the long journey to Abuja, Chief Chukwuma said it was heart-warming to commence the delivery of the buses only a couple of weeks after receiving the order.

A statement by the company obtained on Wednesday said Innoson was starting the delivery with 25 per cent of the vehicles requested by President Tinubu, explaining that to him, manufacturing the CNG buses for the government for use by Nigerians is more of a patriotic duty than the execution of a business contract.

The Innoson chairman said, “Before the end of next month, we will be manufacturing and delivering another 25 per cent of the 100 President Tinubu ordered during my visit to Aso Rock Villa.

“We have a partnership with the Federal Government to produce CNG buses for mass transportation. And that is because President Tinubu and his team recognise the fact that we have the capacity.

“Nigeria has the capacity. We are manufacturing CNG vehicles here. So, there is no need to look outside for what is available in Nigeria.

“It is commendable that President Tinubu believes that made-in-Nigeria is the way to go, and that is why the government gave us a contract to produce these CNG buses.

“We are glad that within two weeks after we got the order, we have already produced 25 per cent of the vehicles which are departing Nnewi today for Abuja.

“The government has discovered that CNG is cheaper and results in very low maintenance cost when using it to fuel your vehicle.

“Therefore, let us support the government on this policy of looking inward for vehicles, especially those powered by CNG.

“On our part at Innoson, what we owe the government and the people of Nigeria is to continue manufacturing vehicles that meet their needs in terms of quality and affordability.”

Chief Chukwuma recalled that he had assured President Tinubu during his visit to Aso Rock Villa a few weeks earlier that Innoson would, in tandem with the presidential initiative on alternative energy for transportation, prioritise the manufacture and roll-out of IVM EVs and accelerate the production of full CNG vehicles in Nnewi.

“I had promised Mr. President that as the pioneer manufacturer of CNG vehicles in Nigeria, Innoson would contribute substantially to the success story of his Presidential Initiative on CNG, and that my factory would be delivering a good number of buses monthly to the Presidency,” the Innoson chairman stated.

He also recalled that he had at inception of the plant more than 13 years ago, assured Nigerians, and reiterated so many times subsequently, that the Nnewi plant would continue to manufacture vehicles based on the needs and requirements of the local market without compromising on quality standards.

The recent production of the first units of electric cars by Innoson Vehicles, according to him, is in keeping with this commitment.

The first batch of IVM CNG buses were officially delivered to the Presidency the following day in Abuja

“Let me use this opportunity to reassure the government and all vehicle buyers in Nigeria that at Innoson, we have the capacity to produce full CNG vehicles, hybrid vehicles (that run on CNG and diesel or petrol), and now EVs, in addition to vehicles that are powered by petrol or diesel alone,” Chief Chukwuma stated.

The statement by the company noted that the prompt commencement of the delivery of the CNG buses by Innoson contrasts sharply with the long delays by other auto companies who received similar orders since last year from the Presidential committee charged with driving the initiative, but commenced the delivery only recently.

A friend of the company who is based in Sierra Leone, Chief Christian Anaekwe, was quoted as disclosing that the IVM brand is also doing well in that country.

He hailed Chukwuma for living up to expectation with the prompt manufacture and delivery of the CNG buses to the Federal Government.

He commended President Tinubu for recognising the capacity of Innoson to truly manufacture the CNG buses locally even without the generous concession that other auto companies that got the contracts for supply of the buses since last year have been enjoying.

Chief Anaejwe said, “I am aware that some of the other companies have been granted a lot of concessions since 2023, yet there are those of them that have not delivered the CNG vehicles till today.

“But the company that received its own order only a few weeks ago without any kind of concession is already delivering the buses. So, why grant concessions to those who don’t have the capacity to deliver?”

CNG: Motorists get N230/SCM, free conversion for Lagos vehicles

The Federal Government has announced a new programme offering free Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion for vehicles at six designated sites across Lagos State.

On Thursday, Lagos State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, shared the news via his official X account, highlighting that this initiative is part of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi).

According to him, the conversion would begin on Friday, September 13, from 3 pm to 6 pm, at six designated locations as part of Operation First Come, First Serve.

The first 50 vehicles that pass inspection at each of the six locations will be fitted with free CNG conversion kits, allowing owners to refuel at N230 per SCM of CNG at any NIPCO station, leading to significant savings compared to petrol.

Osiyemi encouraged residents to seize this opportunity to benefit from the initiative.

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The approved CNG conversion centres in Lagos are as follows:

Femadec: Km 42, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Majek Second Gate Stop, Abiju Ibeju, Lekki, Lagos.
Portland: No. 1, Ojota Interchange Terminal, Bayo Shodipo, Ojota, Lagos.
Mezovest: KM 23, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ajah, opposite Kilimanjaro, beside Libmat Motors, by Abraham Adesanya Bus Stop.
Dana Motors: Dana Motors Ltd Kia Plaza, 117 Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo, Lagos.
MBH Power: Km 5, Ikotun Road, Itamope, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Autogig: Plot 144b Gbagada Expressway, Gbagada, Lagos.

In addition to the Lagos event, the PCNGi’s “Operation First Come, First Serve” will be expanding to other cities.

On September 13, CNG conversions will also be available in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and Ibadan, Oyo State, from 3 PM to 6 PM. The following day, September 14, Abuja and Kaduna will host similar conversion sessions between 3 PM and 6 PM.

This initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s August 2023 launch of the PCNGI, aimed at revolutionizing Nigeria’s transportation sector with over 11,500 CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 conversion kits for petrol vehicles.

CNG: Motorists get N230/SCM, free conversion for Lagos vehicles

TCAN to host Nigeria Transport Sector Summit October 17

• Forum to discuss intermodal transport challenges, prospects for Nigeria

Stakeholders are gearing up to attend a maiden edition of the Nigeria Transport Sector Summit, an annual forum for all industry major players, regulators and professionals to brainstorm on issues germane to the development of the transportation sector.

Organisers of the forum, the Transportation Correspondents Association of Nigeria (TCAN), said the event would hold on Thursday October 17, 2024 at Radisson Hotel Ikeja, Lagos.

A statement on Monday, signed by Chairman of TCAN, Mr Yinka Aderibigbe, and the event’s Organising Committee Chairman, Mr Rasheed Bisiriyu, gave the theme of this year’s event as ‘Intermodal Transport: Prospects and Challenges’.

The forum is expected to be declared open by the Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, while former Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, would deliver the keynote address, the statement added.

The statement said, “The focus on intermodal transportation in the maiden edition of the annual summit is deliberate. It is aimed at bringing together relevant stakeholders across all subsectors of the transport industry with a view to forming a working synergy rather than working at cross-purposes.

“Such arrangement will engender seemly operation greater efficiency through lower costs, operational flexibility and reduced environmental impact that will ultimately benefit all.”

Already, TCAN said a team of speakers had been carefully selected to do justice to the issue under focus.

It said a panel of discussants featuring some relevant members of the intelligentsia, heads of prominent agencies/organisations would speak to the sub-themes of the summit around railway, road, inland waterways and aviation sub-sectors of the transportation industry.

An industry journal produced by TCAN would be formally unveiled as one of the highpoints of the event, the statement added.