The Chief Operating Officer of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles Initiative (CNG), Tosin Coker, has defended the Federal Government’s decision to change President Bola Tinubu’s original ₦100 billion plan to procure 3,000 CNG buses, saying the money was put to better use through a wider programme covering vehicle conversions, tricycles and higher-capacity buses.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, Coker said the government reviewed the initial procurement plan after the presidential initiative was established in October 2023 and concluded that purchasing 3,000 buses alone would not reach enough Nigerians, explaining that the revised strategy had delivered greater benefits, despite continued concerns over the number of CNG buses available nearly three years after the President announced the intervention.
“Yes, July was when that was announced, but that amount, that 100 billion was used more, put to better use in what I’ve just said, in the conversion kits, as well as buses, bigger capacity buses, not 20-seater. We’ve done 50-seater buses in some cases and some smaller buses too. So yes, that’s what that has gone into.”
He argued that the original announcement, made in July 2023, preceded the establishment of the presidential CNG initiative.
“That announcement of 100 billion dollars being set aside was made in July 2023. And the plan was to have gone ahead with 3,000 buses. I understand, I believe that when that was looked into, it was realised that a better strategy was needed. And that was probably what, I think that’s what led to the formation or the setting up of the presidential CNG initiative in October.”
Coker confirmed that the initial target would have had limited impact, particularly in a country with substantial public transportation needs. “When the initiative was set up, that moved to not just buses, because we realised it’s not just buses that move people around. We had, and we couldn’t reach everyone with just even 3,000 buses. Believe me, 3,000 buses, if you drop them in Lagos today, will do something, but it’s nowhere near enough to what less than Lagos needs.”
Pressed on why the government departed from Tinubu’s announcement of ₦100 billion for 3,000 buses between July 2023 and March 2024, Coker said the revised programme was designed to achieve wider coverage through the conversion of existing commercial vehicles and the procurement of different types of public transport. “Rather than do 3,000 buses, which I said is it was just not going to be as, it was not going to be optimal or efficient. We achieved far more in terms of public transportation, in this intervention public transportation. So that was changed to buses, transport and conversion kits.”
“We started with the conversion programme targeting conversion and commercial vehicles only. We did over 25,000 in that first period and free conversions with the transport unions and transport operators, as well as tricycles. Those were done. In that we achieved far more than 3,000 buses. Even if you say 3,000 buses at 20 seaters or so, we achieved a lot more than what was initially planned.”
He described the decision to review the programme was taken after the initiative’s steering committee. “I believe when the steering committee was set up in October, that was when they looked at it to see how best they could effectively steer this issue, how best they could steer it.
“And I think that’s where the decision was made to look better. Of course, they consulted far and wide and realised that a better strategy was to go from just 3,000 buses, which would have done something, but probably wouldn’t have done enough and go further to reach more people with tricycles, with conversion kits, with buses.”
Asked whether the significant change suggested that the original presidential announcement had been made without sufficient policy evaluation, Coker rejected the suggestion that the government should have continued with a plan regardless of the conditions encountered during implementation. “But once they see what’s on ground and what is feasible, they adjust. This is what governments do. We don’t just throw something out there and go home. When we see what’s on ground and what is feasible, we have to make necessary adjustments to ensure that it is best done.”
He maintained that proceeding with the original procurement target could itself have attracted criticism. “If we had done 3,000 buses, there would have been a lot of backlash that this wasn’t thought through properly. So I believe in that, they used what was given to them at that time to make the best decision at the moment. And they made a better decision. And I think it was much better for Nigerians.”
Addressing concerns about the pace of implementation, Coker disputed claims that the presidential initiative had introduced only a small number of buses. “In that time we have introduced just as PICNG over 650 buses nationwide in different parts of the country. Some tricycles as well. As well as the conversion programme which has achieved up till now about over 120,000 plus conversions. Primarily for commercial transportation.”
According to him, the initiative initially procured about 25,000 conversion kits. “So we, I think we started with about 25,000 conversion kits, about 600 buses and tricycles as well, to ensure that we could get even further down the line in terms of reaching Nigerians and helping improve their transport journey and the cost to their pocket.”
Coker acknowledged that the number of CNG buses and tricycles currently operating remained insufficient. “I’m not going to say that we’re going to rest on our laurels and say yes we’ve done a good job. No, we’ve done well but we have to do a lot, lot more. You know the number of buses and tricycles on our roads is not enough but we’re doing more.”
He disclosed that additional CNG and electric vehicles had been ordered. “So what we’re doing now is scaling this up so that over the next few weeks and the months there’ll be significant and visible increase in CNG and EV transportation leading to lower fares and that’s what we’re doing.”
Providing details of the buses procured by the Federal Government, Coker said. “The buses we procured, primarily CNG buses, so some small capacity buses and some high, those that do interstate, the smaller ones, 15 to 18 seaters, and some larger ones as well, up to 50 seater and some standing ones as well. The longer high capacity buses, we can take up to about 90 passengers.”
He also clarified that the 50 CNG buses donated to Obafemi Awolowo University by First Lady Senator. “That donation is not part of our own allocation, no.”
On the distribution of the federally procured buses. “So in PIC and ENG, we follow the gas, right? So there’s no point in just bringing in buses and then throwing them into a state where there’s no gas infrastructure.”
He identified States and locations that had benefited from the programme, with further deployments planned for Delta, Enugu and Akwa Ibom. “In Abuja, for example, we have at least, at least 40 or 50 of these buses applying the main arteries. In Lagos, for example, I think we have at least 60 buses that we have put in there. We have others that have gone, I mean, Delta states, we supported with a small number. They are doing some more as well. I think we started with, we’ve done with five there, but we want to do more.”
Coker explained that some buses were allocated through transport unions and operated across several states rather than remaining permanently in their initial locations.
“So whilst I know that, let’s say, 60 buses were given to some of the transport unions, these are constantly on the road. So they’re going from one place to another. So I know some of these buses are doing, you know, Lagos to Kaino, but also they’re doing, you know, Kaino to Meduguri, they’re doing Abuja to Enugu. So they’re going all over the place.”
He also clarified that the initial fleet procured under the initiative consisted predominantly of vehicles capable of running on both CNG and petrol. “It is better to have hybrid just so that you have the option to switch. But of course, you’re better off using CNG when available. So the buses are predominantly, the initial buses were predominantly CNG, sorry, CNG and petrol hybrid.
“But there are some which are 100% CNG, as well as the electric buses as well.”
On the renewed rollout announced around October 1, Coker said “The idea and Mr. President’s charge was to ensure that all state governments participate more. They have the direct, they’re close on ground to manage fair routes, to manage, you know land, you know and then deal with the local state transport authorities.”
Coker stressed that federal intervention alone could not meet the country’s transportation needs. “The states themselves can and should do more, and that is what this new drive from October 1 was all about. The states need to do more. Federal government cannot be the one expected to do everything.
“We’ll intervene, we’ll catalyse it, show what is possible, and support as much as possible. But states should do more, and we’re enabling them to do that. Private sector can and will do more.”
He confirmed that some state governments had independently procured CNG buses.
“Government has done its own. We’ve done about 650 buses alone. State governments are doing their own as well. In some cases, federal government has added to some of the states. In other regions, some states have done their own, for example. And that’s a good thing. That’s what we want to see. We want to see more of that.”
Coker added that the private sector would ultimately be responsible for driving the long-term expansion of the CNG industry. It is eventually the private sector that will drive this. We are here as an enabler and to ensure that things such as the right business environment is there, training standards, safety are all there.”
Responding to concerns about the cost of converting privately owned vehicles, Coker confirmed that. “The conversion programme, yes, you’re right, is anything from about 350,000 upwards. That determines, that’s depending on your type of vehicle and how complex you want your conversion to be.”
“But what the government has made available of the kits that are purchased through the government, these were made available initially to commercial transportation only, and we like to prioritise them. But all Nigerians are welcome to participate in this.”
Coker disclosed that the initiative was working with Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation. “They’re making financing available through a channel of providers. We’ve talked about MoneyPoint. We’ve talked about NowNow.
“Others like that so that the conversion can be made affordable. You can pay with a small deposit and then pay for a conversion over time, 3, 6, 12 months. You know, they can make something work around you.”
He added that some conversion centres had established separate financing arrangements to make the service more accessible. “Some of the conversion centres are also working with their own financing partners so that, you know, whether it’s the kits for government or if it’s the kits that are out there in the open market, they can also attain the conversions at preferential rates so that you don’t have to drop 500, 600, a million Naira, you know, in one go.”
Coker said the government was currently concentrating its support on conventional four-cylinder and six-cylinder vehicles. “Government is not currently supporting those. We’re focussing primarily on the cars that we know are primarily in the commercial sector. Those are the standard, you know, four-cylinder sequential vehicles, six-cylinder sequential vehicles.”
Despite defending the government’s implementation record, Coker acknowledged. “Nigerians are not interested in the statistics. They just want to know that this is impacting me and I’m paying less for my transportation, whether that is me as a car user driving to work myself, or me as a commuter travelling on the bus from Nyanya to Secretariat, or from Obalende to Ikeja.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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