The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently establish Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations across the country to support the transition to alternative fuel sources. NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this appeal on Friday in Yola while commissioning 10 CNG buses allocated to the North-East region.
Ajaero expressed concern over the inadequate infrastructure for CNG adoption, emphasizing that without accessible filling stations, the initiative would struggle to achieve its objectives.
“As we are commissioning these buses today, just like in other places, there are no CNG filling stations. The essence of CNG buses will be defeated if there are no facilities to obtain the CNG,” he stated.
The NLC leader also lamented the limited number of buses allocated to the region, stating that 10 buses were barely enough to serve Adamawa State alone, let alone the entire North-East.
“We are giving these few that we have to tell the Federal Government that we will always do our part, but we expect a lot more buses to be allocated to the region,” he said.
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Ajaero further revealed that the newly launched buses came with a three-month supply of petrol as a temporary measure. However, he warned that without immediate investment in CNG infrastructure, the buses would be rendered useless once the petrol provision runs out.
“We plead that within the next three months, there should be CNG filling stations and other infrastructure like conversion kits all over the country,” he urged.
The commissioning of the CNG buses is part of a broader initiative by the Federal Government to promote cleaner and more affordable energy sources for public transportation.
However, stakeholders, including the NLC, insist that the government must take concrete steps to ensure a seamless transition by investing in necessary infrastructure.
The 10 CNG buses flagged off for the North-East mark a step towards sustainable transportation, but Ajaero stressed that without fueling stations, the initiative would remain ineffective.
The NLC pledged to continue advocating for policies that prioritize the welfare of Nigerian workers and citizens while ensuring that government initiatives translate into practical benefits.
