The Federal Government has handed over 64 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, each with a 100-passenger capacity, to the Organised Labour and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). The presentation, held at the State House banquet hall in Abuja on Sunday, was attended by the Ministers of Information, Mohammed Idris, and Finance, Wale Edun. They announced that an additional 700 CNG buses are expected to arrive in the country soon.
Since the removal of the petrol subsidy in 2023, Nigerians have faced significantly higher transportation and commodity costs. While some citizens continue to call for the reinstatement of the subsidy, President Bola Tinubu's administration has proposed CNG as a more affordable energy solution. The government aims to convert over 200,000 vehicles and tricycles to run on CNG.
Representatives from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), including TUC Secretary-General Nuhu Toro and NLC's International Desk Head Uche Ekwe, praised the government's initiative but noted that the current number of buses is insufficient to meet the needs of Nigeria's entire workforce.