A total of 500 youths from the nine states of the Niger Delta region have graduated after a six-week training programme on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Autogas Conversion, sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Speaking during the graduation ceremony at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, stated that CNG was a cleaner, safer, and more cost-effective alternative to conventional fuel.

He declared: “We want to make the Niger Delta the hub of engine conversion, which can also be outsourced to other parts of Nigeria. We are taking that bold initiative that will engage most of our youths.”

“We understand the challenges facing our youth, such as unemployment, limited access to skills training and economic uncertainty. The NDDC remains committed to turning those challenges into opportunities,” he said.

The NDDC boss noted that implementing the CNG policy would create jobs and enable local technology transfer for youths and women by supporting auto manufacturing, retrofitting, conversions and production infrastructure.

He said further: “The more we train our youths in energy conversion facilities, the more youths we train to make them gainfully employed and financially independent. We want to make the Niger Delta the hub of CNG technicians in the country.”

Ogbuku recalled that the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), and the NDDC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the implementation of the CNG policy in the Niger Delta region.

In his goodwill message, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, commended the NDDC for keying into the CNG initiative, noting that his state was also working on the programme.

The Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, observed that the CNG initiative would help transform the Niger Delta region.

He remarked that the Niger Delta had long been the backbone of Nigeria's energy economy, noting that the future of energy was evolving. The global shift toward cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions presents new opportunities.

Also speaking, the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, noted that the Commission was created with a vision to facilitate the rapid, sustainable development of the region into an economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful area.

According to him, the training, which was organised in two batches of three weeks each, was designed to equip participants with practical skills in CNG vehicle conversion, system maintenance, and safety standards, in line with global best practices.

Antai highlighted some of the benefits of the CNG initiative, including the development of a more reliable and sustainable transportation sector, which would directly stimulate economic growth through job creation and increased demand for autogas specialists, thereby further reducing harmful emissions in line with NDDC’s commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability.

In his own remarks, the NDDC Executive Director, Corporate Services, Hon Ifedayo Abegunde, said the Presidential Initiative on CNG fully manifested President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of leveraging Nigeria’s gas resources.

He noted that the CNG Initiative was a component of the Federal Government’s intervention to provide succour to Nigerians.

From his perspective, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, commended the NDDC for its forward-looking approach and alignment with the Federal Government’s vision for clean energy. He described the initiative as futuristic and praised the Commission for advancing the CNG agenda in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking in the same vein, the Technical Assistant, Presidential CNG Initiative, Omoh Imuokhuede, stated that the Presidential initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric vehicles is a flagship programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria, launched in 2023 under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Training Consultant, Mr Tunde Rena, highlighted the gains from embracing CNG, noting that the initiative would stimulate investment in Nigeria’s abundant gas market, develop sustainable local gas markets, and grow the economy while expanding the government’s revenue base.

He observed that as Nigeria expands the adoption of CNG-powered vehicles, there is a growing demand for skilled professionals who can convert petrol and diesel vehicles to CNG, maintain systems, and manage related technologies. This is where the CNG Conversion Training Programme becomes critical.

The NDDC Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, Mrs Lyna Okara, affirmed that the CNG training was in line with the NDDC’s mandate to build human capacity and enhance Skills Development in the Niger Delta Region.

•PHOTO: NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku (middle); the Secretary of Akwa-Ibom State government, Prince Enobong Uwah (2nd left); the NDDC Executive Director Project, Dr Victor Antai (left); the Executive Director Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde (right) and the Technical Assistant, Presidential CNG Initiative, Omoh Imuokhuede (2nd right), during the graduation ceremony of CNG autogas conversion training sponsored by the NDDC in Uo, Akwa Ibom State.

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