The Federal Government has launched a portal to enable youth access 2,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tricycles to improve transportation infrastructure and foster economic growth.
The Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, unveiled the portal in collaboration with the Presidential CNG Initiative (PI-CNG) and the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NATOMORAS) at his office in Abuja.
Olawande explained that it is dedicated to fostering transparency in the enrollment of youth into the Presidential CNG Initiative within the transportation sector.
He explained that the portal empowers Nigerian youth to register and be connected with aggregators or owners who are directly involved in the programme.
The minister said: “This aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for all government programmes and initiatives to provide equal opportunities to people of all backgrounds, regardless of wealth or social status.”
He stressed that young individuals in the country will not require any influential connections to benefit from the Ministry of Youth Development’s programmes, adding that the launching of the portal reaffirms the commitment to ensuring that all the initiatives and programmes are equally accessible to everyone.
The minister encouraged all young people working in the commercial transportation sector or those interested in joining the sector to take advantage of the benefits provided through the Presidential Initiative on CNG, noting that the initiative is a significant component of the President’s palliative programme.
Olawande explained that there are two ways to accessing the CNG Portal for tricycles; www.youthcng.ng, www.pci.gov.ng/tricycle.
The representative of the Presidential CNG Initiatives, Mr. Tosin Coker, in his remarks, disclosed that partnering with the ministry and NATOMORAS will create opportunities for many youths.
He stated that the youth have the chance to gain employment by becoming partners with aggregators through the launched scheme.
He added that they will have the option to own these tricycles if they desire.
He expressed his appreciation to the Ministry for taking the lead and to the aggregators for supporting the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman of NATOMORAS, Alhaji Sani Hassan, noted that the launch of the portal was historic for their association and its members across the country.
He expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to witness and participate in the launch of the important portal, which he said will provide opportunities for all members.
He assured the minister of the association ‘s full commitment to mobilise and educate their members to be actively involved in the programme and to ensure that they make the most of the opportunity.