Tinubu Orders MDAs To Patronise NASENI Technologies, Products

President Bola Tinubu has directed Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, in the country to patronize technologies and products of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, to support Made-in-Nigeria goods and reduce importation.

In a statement by Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, Director Information of NASENI, the President represented by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio made the declaration while commissioning NASENI-Portland Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion, Filling, Reverse Engineering and Training Centre in Utako Abuja on Friday.

President Bola Tinubu, who doubles as Chairman of, the NASENI Governing Board, said he was aware that the Agency was in collaboration with private sector players in the commercialization of its products, noting that the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGi), which NASENI has keyed into is the way to tap into Nigeria’s abundant gas resources and to also attain cleaner energy.

According to him, the use of CNG-powered transportation would reduce pressure on foreign exchange, and save money for vehicle owners by converting fuel-emitting vehicles to CNG. He equally lauded the Agency for working with private sector collaborators in the effort to establish a lithium ore processing plant in the country to produce lithium batteries for electric vehicles.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, said the NASENI-Portland CNG Conversion and Training Centre, a partnership between NASENI and Portland Gas Limited, is a state-of-the-art facility for the conversion of fossil fuel vehicles to CNG, a cleaner and more cost-effective alternative.

He said this facility can convert 15 cars every two hours, translating into an output of 2,700 conversions every month.

“Mr. President, by our calculations, if Nigeria can have 10 of this kind of facility in each of the 36 States and the FCT, we will be able to convert every vehicle in the country to CNG within one year.

“We are asking for your approval to do this and showcase our capabilities. Second, we are offering to carry out CNG conversions for every Ministry, Department and Agency of the Federal Government at a cost”, he said.

Recall that the president had asked MDAs to procure CNG vehicles.