The Federal Government has said Compressed Natural Gas can significantly reduce fuel and transportation costs, citing a traveller whose fuel expenditure reportedly dropped from more than N200,000 to about N40,000 after switching to CNG.

The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, disclosed this on Wednesday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

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Osanipin said the example demonstrated the potential of CNG to deliver substantial savings as the government expands infrastructure and access to alternative energy across the country.

He said the traveller was able to refill with gas in Kano, demonstrating the expanding availability of CNG beyond major commercial centres.

“So, a lot of people are already benefiting from this policy, and more and more will come now that we are having more people and more firms going into it and investing in it,” he said.

According to Osanipin, the number of companies licensed to retail gas had increased sharply from about four to 81, describing the development as evidence of growing private-sector participation in the Federal Government’s CNG initiative.

However, he acknowledged concerns that some commercial transport operators benefiting from lower CNG costs had yet to pass the savings on to commuters through reduced fares.

“We have a lot that are already doing it; fleet operators are already benefiting from this. So what we are pushing for again, because someone asked me that question, is that I have seen a lot of people benefiting from it, but they refuse to transfer the price to the masses.

“So that is going to be the next stage. But we just want to make sure that all the infrastructure and everything is coming. Then we now see enforcement of some of these policies,” he said.

Osanipin stressed that adequate infrastructure, including filling stations, mobile refuelling units and gas production facilities, remained critical to making the CNG initiative sustainable.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government had taken delivery of the first batch of electric vehicles promised to civil servants, describing it as the beginning of a broader rollout of cleaner-energy vehicles.

The Federal Government has begun the rollout of electric cars for civil servants with the delivery of the first batch of vehicles promised by President Bola Tinubu.

The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, disclosed this on Wednesday after meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Osanipin said the arrival of the vehicles marked the beginning of a broader plan to expand electric mobility in Nigeria, reduce transportation costs and promote cleaner energy.

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“Today, you must have heard in the news that the first batch of the electric vehicle that the President promised civil servants was delivered today, and they are all electric vehicles. This is the beginning of more and more that will come,” he said.

According to him, the government has also deployed electric-vehicle infrastructure in about 16 universities across the country to support the development of an ecosystem for alternative-energy transportation.

Osanipin said the government’s policies on electric vehicles and Compressed Natural Gas would become increasingly visible as investments in supporting infrastructure continue to grow.

He stressed that infrastructure was critical to the success of the alternative-energy transition, noting that CNG adoption, for instance, requires filling stations, mobile refuelling units and gas production facilities.

“You can’t put a policy in place today and start having the immediate impact,” he said, adding that investments were already being made in the required infrastructure.

The NADDC boss also disclosed that the number of companies licensed to retail gas had increased from about four to 81.

He described the development as evidence of growing private-sector participation in the Federal Government’s CNG initiative and said gas was becoming more available in some states.

Osanipin further highlighted the potential of CNG to reduce transportation expenses, citing the experience of a traveller whose fuel expenditure reportedly fell from more than N200,000 to about N40,000 after switching to CNG.

He said the traveller was able to refuel with gas in Kano, demonstrating the expanding availability of CNG beyond major commercial centres.

However, Osanipin acknowledged concerns that some commercial transport operators benefiting from lower CNG costs had yet to transfer the savings to commuters through reduced fares.

“We have a lot that are already doing it; fleet operators are already benefiting from this. So what we are pushing for again, because someone asked me that question, is that I have seen a lot of people benefiting from it, but they refuse to transfer the price to the masses,” he said.

He explained that the next phase of the government’s intervention would focus on ensuring that the benefits of cheaper alternative energy translate into lower transportation costs for Nigerians.

Osanipin said his meeting with President Tinubu also provided an opportunity to brief him on developments in the automotive sector, ongoing investments and a draft legislation being developed for the industry.

The Federal Government has continued to promote electric mobility and CNG as part of efforts to diversify Nigeria’s transportation energy mix, reduce dependence on petrol and diesel, lower transportation costs and cut emissions.

Okin Biscuits has resumed production after 17 years, marking a major step in the revival of the once-popular Nigerian biscuit brand.

The company announced the development on Wednesday after one of its rehabilitated production lines at its factory in Offa, Kwara State, successfully produced biscuits during a technical trial run.

The production line had been shut down after vandals reportedly stole cables, frequency drives, contactors, motors and other electronic components.

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Okin said Tuesday’s production was strictly a technical trial to determine whether the 17-year-old line could be brought back to life, rather than a test of the finished product.

“For the first time in 17 years, biscuits rolled off one of our rehabilitated production lines at the factory in Offa. We had to rebuild the line after having all cables, frequency drives, contactors, motors and other electronic components stolen,” the company said.

The company added that more work was required before the biscuits could return to shops, including further testing, calibration and rehabilitation of the plant.

“There is still work ahead. More testing. More calibration. More rehabilitation. And, of course, getting that familiar Okin taste and quality exactly right before the biscuits return to the market,” it stated.

Okin also disclosed that the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company connected the factory to a 33KVA Band A electricity grid on the same day, describing the development as another major milestone in its revival.

Founded in 1980 by the late Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye, Okin Biscuits became a household name among Nigerians who grew up in that era.

However, the company eventually shut down amid operational challenges, including poor infrastructure, unstable power supply and growing competition from cheaper imported biscuits.

Celebrating the latest development, the company said, “But today, we celebrate progress. The machines are turning. The ovens are firing. The biscuits are beginning to roll out again. One step at a time. Okin is coming back.”