NITT to provide alternative energy source to transport sector as FG exits fuel subsidy

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The Director General and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, Dr. Bayero Farah, has disclosed that the institute is complementing the effort of the federal government in exiting the petrol subsidy regime through the provision of alternative energy source to the transportation sector. Speaking when the minister of state for transport, Alhaji Muazu Sambo, visited the institute, Farah said the NITT is currently in talks with the National Gas Expansion Programme Committee aimed at providing the technical manpower for engineering the process of converting fossil fuel driven vehicles in Nigeria to using either Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
He added the the institute is also championing the call for local production of conversion kits in this regard.
Farah also said, the NITT has established a Databank for the collection, collation and analysis of all economic and technological data relating to all aspect of transportation in Nigeria.
He said in order to fulfill its mandate, the institute is building an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) Centre to be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.
“At the moment the databank project has commenced with the installation of equipment in some major highways namely; Abuja-Lokoja, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Kaduna-Zaria Highway”, Farah disclosed.
He said, traffic data generated by these equipment will be transmitted in real time to the Data Centre in Zaria.
The NITT boss said data from transport organisations are also being collated and inputted into the Databank System in the institute
He explained that, since 2020 to date, NITT has been pursuing a strategic project that when realised would contribute positive to improving safety on Nigerian roads.
“Supported by the federal government, NITT is constructing Driver Development and Training Centres in each of the six (6) geopolitical zones in the country.
“Work on 3 of these projects have started and is progressing steadily”, Farah said.
He however, lamented that that the institute is faced with some challenges namely, budgetary constraints and the need to strengthen the institute’s legal instruments in order to keep pace with the current realities in the industry.
“In view of the enormous tasks before the institute and in order to fully deliver our mandate to the transport sector and the Nigerian economy, we are appealing to the Honourable Minister to kindly assist the Institute with alternative and more reliable source of funding.
“Also, the institute is currently facing shortage of land at its headquarters in Zaria. The 27-hectare land space currently housing the institute is used up, thus making it challenging for expansion”, he said.

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