Tinubu to governors: Emulate Uba Sani on free CNG mass transit

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged state governments to emulate Kaduna State in deploying Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, mass transit schemes capable of reducing the burden of transportation on citizens.

The President specifically cited the Kaduna State Government’s free CNG mass transit initiative under Governor Uba Sani, describing it as evidence that cheaper domestic energy can translate into tangible savings for ordinary Nigerians.

Tinubu made the remarks in an update on the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, following his August 27 meeting with the 36 state governors, where he said they agreed that Nigerians should begin to experience measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1.

The President said Kaduna’s experience demonstrated what was possible when subnational governments deployed alternative energy to provide affordable transportation.
“In Kaduna, 100 CNG-powered buses are providing free transportation on major routes across the State. In their first year of operation, the buses carried about 3.2 million passengers, saving commuters more than ₦3.5 billion in transport costs,” Tinubu said.

He also cited interventions in Borno, Oyo, Adamawa, Enugu and Plateau states, where CNG-powered or alternative-energy transport services have resulted in lower fares for commuters.

According to him, the Federal Government, the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, state governments and other stakeholders are working to identify priority transport corridors, determine appropriate interventions and establish the infrastructure required to expand affordable transportation nationwide.

An implementation committee was subsequently constituted under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, with Kwara State Governor and Forum Chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as chairman.

Tinubu said the urgency of the programme had increased amid renewed pressure on global energy supplies and rising petrol and diesel prices, stressing that Nigeria’s abundant gas resources offered an opportunity to reduce the country’s vulnerability to international energy market fluctuations.

He maintained that the Federal Government would continue to support the expansion of CNG infrastructure and vehicle conversion capacity, while encouraging states to work with transport unions and commercial operators to ensure that savings from cheaper energy translated into lower fares.

The President also restated his opposition to a return to the petrol subsidy regime, arguing that such a policy would expose the economy to international oil-price fluctuations and divert resources from other areas of development.

Responding to the presidential commendation, Governor Uba Sani thanked Tinubu and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to policies aimed at reducing the burden on vulnerable households.
“We deeply appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this recognition and for his administration’s continued support to subnational governments in delivering meaningful interventions to our people,” Sani said.

The governor said Kaduna had continued to pursue interventions in areas including education, vocational training, skills development and mass transportation, adding that the state’s free CNG scheme remained one of its major interventions following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

“Kaduna remains the only subnational government providing FREE CNG mass transit rides to its citizens. With about 3.2 million passenger trips and over ₦3.5 billion saved by commuters in the first year alone, the scheme has become one of our most impactful interventions in cushioning the effects of fuel subsidy removal,” he said.

The Kaduna government had earlier disclosed that the 100 CNG buses operate daily on designated routes, while 200 modern bus stops were being constructed to support the scheme.

The development places Kaduna’s free CNG transport initiative among the interventions the Federal Government is highlighting as it seeks to expand affordable mass transit and lower transportation costs across the country ahead of the October 1 target.