The Federal Executive Council (FEC) decided yesterday that all new vehicles, generators, or tricycles being procured by the government and its agencies must be powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), solar or electric.
It was one of the major decisions reached by the council before it adjourned its marathon proceedings till today after over four hours.
According to a source, the decision will take immediate effect with requests by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Shipper’s Council, an agency of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
The agencies sought approval to buy hundreds of operational vehicles.
The council, according to another source, approved the requests but said they must be CNG-powered vehicles.
Also, a request by the Federal Capital Territory to buy petrol generators was approved, but the council insisted they must be CNG-powered or solar-powered.
“The government expects agencies to begin to convert petrol or diesel vehicles or generators to CNG.
“The Tinubu administration which launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi) last October plans to roll out about 800 CNG buses, 4,000 CNG tricycles, and 100 electric buses in the first phase,” it was noted.
In taking the decision yesterday, the government was signalling its readiness for an energy transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
