TheCable

Bayero Salih-Farah, director-general of Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), says the institute is set to begin the process of converting fossil fuel vehicles to gas-driven. 

He said this on Friday when Muazu Sambo, minister of transportation, visited the institute in Zaria, Kaduna state.

TheCable had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari said he will end petrol subsidy by 2023.

In June, the federal government unveiled 20 high-tech buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) for civil servants in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Salih-Farah said the institute will provide alternative energy source to the transportation sector as the federal government moves to end petrol subsidy.

He said the NITT is pushing for the local production of conversion kits, as well as liaising with the national gas expansion programme committee.

He also said the institute has established a databank for the collection, collation, and analysis of all economic and technological data relating to transportation in Nigeria.

According to Salih-Farah, the institute is building an intelligent transport system (ITS) centre to be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, adding that traffic data generated will be transmitted in real time to the data centre in Zaria.

“At the moment the databank project has commenced with the installation of equipment in some major highways, namely; Abuja-Lokoja, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and Kaduna-Zaria highway,” he said.

He further said since 2020, the NITT has been pursuing a strategic project that, when realised, would contribute positively to improving safety on Nigerian roads.

“Supported by the federal government, NITT is constructing driver development and training centres in each of the six geopolitical zones in the country. Work on three of these projects has started and is progressing steadily,” he said.

He however, said the institute is faced with challenges, which include budgetary constraints.

“In view of the enormous tasks before the institute and in order to fully deliver our mandate to the transport sector and the Nigerian economy, we are appealing to the honourable minister to kindly assist the institute with alternative and more reliable sources of funding,” he added.

“Also, the institute is currently facing a shortage of land at its headquarters in Zaria. The 27-hectare land space currently housing the institute is used up, thus making it challenging for expansion.”