BENIN CITY – THE federal government on Friday said it would subsidise the conversion of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to Condensed Natural Gas (CNG) to encourage vehicle users to adopt the environment-friendly and cost-effective means of driving.
The Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, stated this at the graduation of 50 female auto mechanics who have been trained on the skill of converting vehicles to CNG-powered.
He said the training was done by the NADDC in partnership with the Edo State Government and the Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI) powered by its founder, Sandra Aguebor.
The graduation ceremony was held at the New Festival Hall, Government House in Benin City, with the theme“CNG Conversion: A New Horizon for Women in the Automotive Industry.”
Osanipin said that Edo State was selected for the pilot phase due to its high number of trained female mechanics and its early adoption of CNG technology.
“Edo State is not new to automotive innovation. It was the first to begin CNG use even before it became national policy. This programme is both technically and economically viable, given Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves.”
He disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a subsidy for vehicle conversions to ensure that vehicle users would not bear the conversion costs and that the conversion kits would be delivered to the state under the Presidential CNG Initiative.
In addition to that he said the NADDC has established 21 Automotive Workshops across the country out of which 18 have been equipped and that empowering women in that critical area is like building national capacity and ensuring inclusive access to the CNG value chain.
On her part, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the moment as historic in reshaping perceptions about women in Nigeria’s energy and industrial sectors.
The Minister revealed that over 1,500 women have now been trained as auto mechanics across the country, many through programmes initiated by Aguebor and that the CNG initiative followed extensive consultations in the automotive sector and aimed to position women at the forefront of Nigeria’s industrial revolution.
“This programme is about rewriting the narrative placing women not just in workshops but at the heart of national transformation. Careers have no gender, and dreams must know no limits,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim declared, drawing applause from the audience.
The Minister further revealed plans to expand the programme to include the training and empowerment of female commercial drivers and Keke NAPEP operators, using clean energy vehicles and supported by financial literacy education.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, Barrister Ifeoma Williams commended the inclusion of women in the country’s clean energy initiatives.
He also advocated for the integration of CNG conversion training into the national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum, promising to support the programme’s expansion nationwide.
Delivering the address of Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barrister Umar Musa Ikhilor, praised the uniqueness of the Edo State programme.
The governor reiterated the state’s commitment to empowering women, describing it as both a social and economic imperative. He cited studies showing that increasing women’s economic participation boosts GDP.
On her partA guebor, credited her success to her passion for the profession and urged the graduates to remain committed in order to succeed.
She said the success story for the beneficiaries was that they would also become co-bread winners complementing the efforts of their spouses and in some cases, they could become the breadwinners.
