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Abia State is on the verge of a transportation revolution, as the government prepares to deploy compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicles, a game-changing initiative that will not only reduce emissions but also redefine the state’s transportation sphere.
As explained by Prince Okey Kanu, Commissioner for Information and Culture, the government’s decision to invest in CNG-powered vehicles is a proactive measure to mitigate the impact of the tricycle and motorcycle ban, ensuring uninterrupted transportation services for the populace.
To facilitate a hassle-free transition, the government plans to encourage commercial keke and okada operators to form cooperatives, which will enable them to access the CNG vehicles and maintain their livelihoods, Prince Okey Kanu explained.
The rollout of Abia’s green agenda is poised to gain momentum, as a leading manufacturer has revealed that its CNG vehicle assembly plant is in the final stages of completion, ensuring a ready supply of eco-friendly vehicles to support the state’s sustainable transportation vision.
Obu-Aku City in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State has emerged as a key automotive hub, with Rosettes Motors launching a massive assembly plant capable of producing 40,000 vehicles per year, with a significant focus on CNG technology.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Roxettes, Dr Kaycee Orji, said that all the equipment needed for the assembly plant to start production would arrive before the end of next month.
According to a statement from the governor’s office, Governor Alex Otti received assurances from Orji during a high-level meeting that the eagerly anticipated eco-friendly vehicles are imminent, with production poised to commence soon.
“The assembly plant will see us rolling out about 40,000 units of automobiles per annum and 70% of the production would be mainly innovative products like electric vehicles and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) driven vehicles,” the Abia-born entrepreneur said.
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“The world is migrating to sustainable energy and we don’t want to sit back and watch the world move and Nigeria and Abia State are not doing anything,” he added.
Orji credited the current leadership in Abia State for creating an enabling environment that attracted the investment, stating that the state’s favorable business climate made it the obvious choice for the assembly plant’s location.
The company aims to begin production within the next year, Orji announced, with a focus on both electric vehicle assembly and CNG conversion, positioning Abia State as a pioneer in sustainable transportation and a model for other states to follow.
“What it means is that we are going to have the capability to convert any vehicle to CNG. We are going to have the CNG kits installed there and then the CNG cylinders installed so that people can run on cheaper and cleaner energy,” further added.
The CEO of Rosettes Motors, Orji, commended Governor Alex Otti for his visionary leadership and support, which facilitated the establishment of the motor assembly plant in Abia State, highlighting the governor’s efficiency in providing land and issuing a certificate of occupancy within an impressive timeframe of just one month.
Dr. Orji announced that his company has successfully manufactured CNG generators in China, with plans to market them in Nigeria, providing a clean and efficient energy source that will help decentralize the national grid’s burden.
He said that the motor assembly plant would provide job opportunities to over 1,000 Abians by the time they kick start their operations, adding that Obu-Aku City is now called Eco-Drive Green Tech Metropolis.
According to him, the name change is fitting “because we have in mind to do a whole lot of things within that space”.
Otti assured the Roxettes boss that government would patronise the company and purchase its vehicles, saying that he was happy the vehicles would be assembled here in Abia with “an emblem that says this vehicle is manufactured in Nigeria”.
He welcomed the fact that vehicles are assembled in the country, but indicated that he would be even more delighted if domestic manufacturing were to commence.
He demonstrated an understanding of the manufacturing process, explaining that different companies are responsible for producing different parts, which are then integrated into a single vehicle.
