The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy 300 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion centres nationwide after they are trained and certified as technicians.
The initiative was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives, Monitoring and Delivery, Dr. Titilope Gbadamosi, during the opening of the CNG Retrofitting Training Programme for corps members at the NYSC FCT Orientation Camp, Kubwa, Abuja.
According to a statement shared on the NYSC Facebook page on Wednesday, the programme will be implemented across the six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to position young Nigerians at the centre of the country’s transition to cleaner energy.
Gbadamosi said the training aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s target of retrofitting 100,000 vehicles annually under the national CNG adoption plan.
“Following the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023, compressed natural gas (CNG) emerged as the most viable and affordable alternative for Nigerian motorists, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu set a national target of 100,000 vehicles to be retrofitted annually,” she said.
She added that the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) would provide technical certification standards and full funding support for the programme.
Gbadamosi further explained that the 300 trained corps members would be certified and deployed to various CNG conversion centres across the country to support implementation.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the initiative would expand employment opportunities and strengthen entrepreneurship prospects for corps members beyond their service year.
He urged participants to take full advantage of the training, noting that the ministry would continue to support youth empowerment initiatives.
Olawande also encouraged young Nigerians to embrace cleaner and more affordable energy solutions while applying their skills to complement their academic qualifications.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, described the programme as a demonstration of inter-agency collaboration in support of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the scheme had already trained over three million corps members in various skills since 2012 and remained committed to supporting Nigeria’s energy transition.
“The CNG retrofitting training supports the one trillion dollar innovation-driven economy. This carefully selected programme will bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application,” Nafiu said.
He added that the NYSC was open to partnerships aimed at building a stronger innovation-driven economy powered by Nigeria’s youth population.