Army begins CNG conversion of vehicles, trains officers

The Nigerian Army has trained eleven officers in the operation of 15 newly converted compressed natural gas vehicles.

Disclosing this on Thursday at Bonny Cantonment of the Nigerian Army, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Commander, Corps of Supply and Transport, Maj. Gen. A.A. Adeyinka, said the conversion of the vehicles from petrol and diesel engines to CNG-powered engines would boost the operational efficiency of the force.

Adeyinka, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, at the event, said the development was an initiative of President Bola Tinubu to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

Adeyinka said the army on Tuesday had the first leg of the event in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, where the COAS was also represented.

He said, “We are on the second leg of the start of our journey. The first part that was launched in Abuja was the stage of the conversion of the 15 vehicles to CNG compliance. Eleven of our colleagues are undergoing training, comprising the Corps of Supply and Transport as well as the Corps of Mechanical Engineers. At our Lagos centre, we will equally be converting 15 vehicles and having 11 personnel (trained) during the conversion.

“The projects are just the first step in the long journey which the Nigerian Army has availed itself the opportunity of being assisted by the presidential initiative, to ensure that not only the operational efficiency is improved, but also that we are seen to be in compliance with all efforts to ensure that we run our business in a manner that aligns with the global environmental trends.”

He added that the army would ensure that the initiative by President Tinubu “sees the light of the day.”

Some of the vehicles were handed over to the Army at the Bonny Camp by the Project Director, Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi.

While speaking, Oluwagbemi thanked the Army for taking the lead in the initiative by becoming the first national institution to take on the task of converting their fleets in line with the presidential initiative of energy transition in the transport sector.

Oluwagbemi said, “For us at the P-CNGi, it was a noble move to work with the Nigerian Army as they seek to move Nigeria forward. The president recognises the most important need of a nation which is security. Energy security being a part of the overall security of the nation must consider three parameters – availability, affordability and accessibility. In any of these three factors, gas is above PMS and diesel in the Nigerian energy need. Gas is widely available in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.”

Last year, the Federal Government made known its plans to introduce one million CNG-powered vehicles by 2027.

The announcement was made by the Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs, Toyin Subaru, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Bank of Industry headquarters in Abuja.

As part of this initiative, Subaru disclosed that 11,500 CNG-powered buses were expected to be deployed in November.

The move, according to the FG, aimed to address transportation challenges occasioned by fuel subsidy removal and to provide a viable solution to the public.