By Franklin Ocheneyi
“IT’s high time compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered vehicles ply Nigerian roads because of their environmental friendliness and sustainability.”
This declaration was made recently by Otunba Francis Meshioye, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
His expectations of running Nigeria on green energy vehicles, was made months before President Bola Tinubu announced on Monday, July 31, 2023, that he will invest N100 billion between now and March 2024 to acquire 3000 units of 20-seater CNG-fuelled buses.
The MAN President had during the launch of new sets of natural gas-powered trucks, buses and cars manufactured locally by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, at the IVM factory in Nnewi, Anambra State, said that the new vehicles represent great advancement in the manufacturing industry and indeed the pride of Nigeria and Africa.
“It’s a great thing to see what we witness in other parts of the world in our own home.
I encourage the Nigerian government and individuals to patronize Innoson Vehicles as that’s a sure way of partnering with the greatness we saw here today,” he said.
President Tinubu, had during a nationwide broadcasttagged, ” After Darkness, Comes The Glorious Dawn,” said that the decision by his government to procure the CNG vehicles was because the cost of fuel has gone up, due to the recently phased fuel subsidy.
In the broadcast message to Nigerians, President Tinubu said: “Part of our programme is to roll out buses across the states and local governments for mass transit at a much more affordable rate.
“These buses will be shared to major transportation companies in the states, using the intensity of travel per capital.
9% Interest Rate / Year
He explained that participating transport companies will be able to access credit under this facility at 9 percent per annum with 60 months repayment period.”
Nevertheless, as laudable as this policy is, will the governments walk the talk in purchasing vehicles they have encouraged their local productions, or bye-passes local brands in preference for foreign ones?
It happened before during the country’s first generation automotive assembly plants which were jointventures between the Federal Government and the foreign cars manufacturers- the like of Volkwagen automobiles (VON) Peugeot, and the rest.
The industry’s insights had it that most of the country’s first vehicles assembly plants folded up due to the lack of patronage from the governments , or rather, that the government failed to honour the contracts agreements for the procurements of certain units or percentages of the vehicles.
Nevertheless, with a renewed commitment by the government, especially in the past ten years tilldate, the automobile industry is coming alive with the entrants of new plays the like of Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing IVM, Stallion Groups, among others.
Their value additions to the industry have been the manufacturing of electric vehicles and those powered by the compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In a reaction to the government’s CNG vehicles purchase policy, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director – General of MAN, urged President Tinubu to purchase the 3000 CNG vehicles from local manufacturers to boost production in the country.
Buying made-in-Nigeria
《 Industry’s insights had it that most of the country’s first generation vehicles assembly plants folded up due to the lack of patronage from the governments 》
” The 3000 units of 20-seater buses promised should be procured from indigenous automobile industries the like of Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing.
” This would serve as a golden opportunity for the federal government to demonstrate unfailing commitment to the implementation of its Executive Order 003 – Buy made-in-Nigeria,” he said.
But , considering that President Tinubu specifically mentioned 20-seater CNG buses in his broadcast, does Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing has the capacity to produce this and other types of buses on demand?
The founder of Innoson Vehicles, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, responded : ” Any size of bus that Nigeria wants, we have the capacity to produce them here in Nnewi. We have the capacity to produce 120-seater, 20-seater or 10-seater bus model.
The important thing is to give the customers what they want. We produce bus variants from seven- seater to 60-seater (the latter with provisions for standing passengers).
So, it all depends on what you want. We also produce cars, SUVs, and MPVs powered by CNG . Some people need LNG (liquefied natural gas) vehicles and we are producing them. Whatever you want, whether CNG, LNG or even electric, we produce all of them here in Nnewi.”
Fielding question on the patronages, he said : ” Many Nigerians are using my vehicles. We have a lot of our vehicles in Edo State and other places and it is serving them well and they are happy with then.”