The Federal Government, through the Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, has initiated a move to transition Nigerian Railway Corporation locomotives from diesel to liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas.
This is in a bid to steer the corporation towards sustainable energy sources and reduce operational costs.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Olujimi Oyetomi, on Thursday.
Alkali was said to have reiterated the desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to provide Nigerians with efficient, affordable, and sustainable transportation given the recent removal of subsidy on fuel.
On Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the De-Sadel consortium presented the LNG-CNG alternative for joint deliberation by the Ministry of Transportation and the NRC at the Ministry’s headquarters.
Alkali expressed optimism that this transition could lead to more effective, efficient, and possibly cheaper rail services for Nigerians, especially in the wake of the recent removal of fuel subsidies.
To expedite the process, Alkali directed the immediate formation of a seven-member technical committee tasked with evaluating the feasibility and potential outcomes of retrofitting NRC’s locomotives with LNG-CNG technology.
The committee was given a timeframe of seven to 14 days to produce recommendations.
“It is the desire of our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to provide an efficient, affordable, and sustainable transportation system for the people of this great country and I am sure this would go a long way in bringing down the cost of transportation,” Alkali said.
