In a significant move to bolster local industries, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated all Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to adopt technologies and products from the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
This directive aims to enhance the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods, thereby reducing the nation’s reliance on imports.
The announcement was made by the President, represented by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during the inauguration of the NASENI-Portland Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion, Filling, Reverse Engineering, and Training Centre in Utako, Abuja.
President Tinubu, who also serves as the Chairman of NASENI’s Governing Board, emphasized the agency’s collaboration with private sector entities to commercialize its innovations.
He highlighted the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGi), underscoring its potential to leverage Nigeria’s vast gas resources and advance the country’s shift towards cleaner energy solutions.
Khalil Suleiman Halilu, NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, in his address, detailed the centre’s capacity to convert 15 vehicles to CNG every two hours, resulting in approximately 2,700 conversions monthly. Halilu projected that establishing 10 such facilities in each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would enable the nationwide conversion of all vehicles to CNG within a year.
Halilu also sought presidential approval to convert the entire State House vehicle fleet to CNG, as a demonstration of NASENI’s capabilities. Additionally, he proposed offering CNG conversion services to all federal MDAs at a competitive cost.
Addressing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Halilu offered NASENI’s CNG generators for testing on the Bill Clinton Drive lighting project, encouraging contractors to utilize NASENI’s streetlights for the initiative.
This strategic move underscores the Tinubu administration’s commitment to fostering local innovation and supporting sustainable energy solutions, positioning Nigeria as a leader in technological advancement and environmental stewardship.
e-Signed:
Olusegun Ayeoyenikan
Director, Information, NASENI
May 31, 2024
