FG to Deploy 300 NYSC Members as Certified CNG Technicians Nationwide

The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy 300 National Youth Service Corps members to compressed natural gas conversion facilities across the country after undergoing specialised training and obtaining certification as CNG technicians.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives disclosed the plan during the launch of a CNG Retrofitting Training Programme at the NYSC FCT Orientation Camp in Abuja.

The training programme will be implemented across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones as part of wider government efforts to place young Nigerians at the centre of the country's transition towards the increased utilisation of compressed natural gas.

Following the removal of fuel subsidies, CNG has emerged as one of the most economically accessible and sustainable energy options available to Nigerian motorists.

The Federal Government has set an annual target of retrofitting 100,000 vehicles, with the National Automotive and Development Council providing technical certification oversight as well as complete financial backing for the programme.

The Minister of Youth Development described the CNG training initiative as an avenue for creating expanded employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for corps members that could extend beyond the period of their mandatory national service.

He urged the participants to make the most of the training opportunity while encouraging them to embrace affordable and sustainable energy solutions and combine the technical competencies they acquire through the programme with their existing formal qualifications.

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps described the initiative as a demonstration of inter-agency collaboration in support of the government's Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the scheme was prepared to support Nigeria's energy transition, noting that the NYSC has equipped more than three million corps members with various vocational skills since 2012.

He described the CNG programme as a bridge between academic knowledge and practical application, while also contributing to the development of a one-trillion-dollar innovation-driven economy powered by youth ingenuity and enterprise.