The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has announced the launch of its Compressed Natural Gas e-portal for youths in the commercial transport sector, particularly those interested in operating CNG-powered tricycles across the country.
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this at a press conference in his office on Monday.
According to reports by The PUNCH, on October 1, 2024 the Federal Government, through the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PiCNG) and the ministry, unveiled the distribution of 2,000 CNG-powered tricycles to empower Nigerian youths.
In his address during the event, the Project Director of PiCNG, Michael Oluwagbemi, said the distribution of the tricycles marked the fulfilment of promises made by President Bola Tinubu to reduce transport costs and enhance economic well-being, among other benefits.
Through the portal, youths from across Nigeria can sign up to be matched with aggregators or owners working directly with the PiCNG programme while starting the process of becoming owners themselves.
In simple terms, “the youth portal we are launching aims to build transparency around the process of enlisting youth into the presidential CNG initiative in the transport sector.
“What this means is that we are opening the process, and any young person willing and ready to take advantage of the programme can participate. This aligns with the aspiration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who wants all government programmes and initiatives to offer equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of their background or status.
“I, therefore, call on all youths working in the commercial transport sector, or those interested in joining, to register and benefit from the PiCNG as a significant part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s palliative programme,” he said.
The Minister urged interested youths to visit www.youthcng.ng or www.pci.gov.ng/tricycle to register and be part of the CNG programme.
Also speaking, the Programme Director and Chief Executive Officer of PiCNG, Michael Oluwagbemi, represented by Mr Tosin Coker, described CNG as “the future of the nation,” stating, “Indeed, CNG is the future of Nigeria, just as the youths are the future of this nation. By embracing CNG, we are building a cleaner environment as we move away from PMS and diesel.
“We are also saving the nation in terms of the costs previously spent on petrol subsidies, which have been draining the country’s resources for so long. So, what we are doing here is not just a handout; it’s something deeper. As I mentioned, the youth are our future, and it is up to all of us to do what we can for them.”
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