The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has flagged off the Ibom Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) City Bus Terminal in Uyo, declaring the project a decisive step towards safer cities, affordable transportation and sustainable development across the state.
Situated at Obio Offot and Ikot Akpe, the Governor said the project site, once abandoned, had posed serious security concerns.
“The site was abandoned and it had become a beehive and a living abode for thugs and criminals. But today it has been well cleared and is ready to receive a world-class bus terminal in this place,” he said.
Governor Eno announced that the initiative would connect all 31 local government areas with reliable mass transit, adding, “From here to all the 31 local government areas in this state… the roads are very well paved roads, very well constructed roads.”
He disclosed that the state had procured 50 luxury CNG buses, announcing that it would operate cashless ticketing through a bus card system.
“All the 50 CNG buses that we have already ordered and paid for… remittances have been done and we have paid Isuzu… and they will start arriving from April this year,” he said.
Reaffirming his administration’s resolve to development, the Governor said, “We are called to serve… and we trust God to help us deliver on the assignment. We will not be distracted.”
In his goodwill message, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the project as evidence of forward-thinking leadership which aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on sustainable energy and transportation.
“To be futuristic is what a right-thinking leader should do for his own people,” he said.
Ekpo lauded Governor Umo Eno for prioritising long-term development through investment in cleaner and affordable energy solutions, adding that the shift to alternatives adds value to Nigeria’s gas ecosystem.
The Minister said Akwa Ibom was positioning itself strategically within the nation’s gas value chain, as CNG and LPG alternatives are aimed at reducing dependence on petrol, lowering transportation costs and maximising Nigeria’s abundant gas resources.
“What you are doing is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President on CNG. When he withdrew fuel subsidy, he decided to replace it with utilisation of gas in CNG, LPG and all those things. Today, you are thinking about the future of Akwa Ibom State. You’re not only thinking sustainability, but how to utilise and add value to the gas ecosystem,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Area and Akwa Ibom State ALGON Chairman, Dr Uwemedimo Udo, applauded the collaboration behind the project, which aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview with Voice of Nigeria, Dr Udo further commended Governor Umo Eno “for the synergy with the Federal Government in tackling the impact of fuel subsidy,” noting that the Ibom CNG Mass Transit Terminal was rooted in the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas.
He stressed that “CNG is cheaper in terms of cost than diesel and petrol… Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of gas resources… and it is also environmentally friendly.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Transport, Anthony Luke, said the terminal stood out in scale and impact.
“The terminal you are building today… happens to be the best, the first in the whole of Africa, and the 21st in the whole of this world,” he said.
In a project scope overview, Luke said the facility sits on 62,000 square metres of land and would also host a technical college to train engineers, mechanics and drivers.
Giving a completion assurance, the contractor, Alpha Dias, and the Delivery Adviser (Transport), Orman Esin, pledged timely delivery.
“Just as Alpha Dias has said… this project will be completed in six months… you have given me an express responsibility to be here to make sure I deliver this project in six months,” Esin said, adding, “I’m here to give you my word and assurance that in six months’ time… this project will be completed.”