Students at Bayero University, Kano, are among the intended beneficiaries of a Federal Government initiative offering free rides on buses powered by compressed natural gas.
The service was unveiled under Project SPROUT, a campus transport programme involving the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles and private sector partners including FEMADEC Energy and MD GIF.
Speaking for the initiative’s executive chairman, Ismaeel Ahmed, representative Louisa Afu said the programme was designed to reduce transport costs for students and staff while encouraging wider adoption of cleaner vehicle technology.
Plans outlined at the event include phased deployment of buses and tricycles, development of refuelling stations and establishment of vehicle conversion centres. Project coordinator Ovoke Obire said the partners were working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority on facility licensing and public awareness. The scale, timetable and long term funding of the free rides were not specified in the supplied account.
