TheCable

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos state governor, says the state is working towards converting some of its buses to gas-powered vehicles. 

Sanwo-Olu was speaking on Thursday at the ongoing 12th Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) International Conference 2021 in Lagos.

The governor explained that Lagos intends to lead by example in the transition to gas-based economy.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the state government has set up an independent company, Ibile Oil and Gas, to serve as its implementing arm for Lagos state gas industrialisation.

“Ibile oil and gas (IOGC), is fully owned Lagos but it’s a private sector driven company and we have some of the leading industry players on the board of this company,” he explained.

“We are looking at gas for domestic use. We are building capacity in the company and we are also talking with major players where LPG as a primary fuel for domestic and road side cooking.

“What they are looking at is deploying at various locations in the city, LPG plants and stations that would be able to get citizens easy access and it becomes something they can use and we can take out the dirty fuels, kerosene, firewood, charcoal can be a thing of the past in a mega city like Lagos.

“We want to deliberately promote autogas for transportation purposes. So, we have two to three public-funded transportation system and we will see how can convert some of the engines of these buses, the buses we currently have, about a thousand of them to CNG and LPG.

“So the rollout and deployment of LPG compressed gas at various locations and we are talking to some of the manufacturers so that we don’t run foul of what the protocols should be and what the implementation plan really should be.”

The governor said the goal is to have filling stations that dispense gas to vehicles in addition to petrol and diesel.