The Federal Government has distributed 2,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered tricycles to youths as part of commitment by President Bola Tinubu to alleviate the daily struggles of young persons.
The Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Ibrahim, said this in Abuja on Tuesday during the first phase distribution of the tricycles.
Ibrahim said the tricycles would go a long way in easing the transportation challenges faced by citizens across the country.
She added that “in this crucial time of economic reforms, this intervention will serve as a great relief to our people, demonstrating the administration’s dedication to improving the quality of life for young people.
“As we look forward to empowering young people, I must also highlight how the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) is geared to support youth entrepreneurs, especially those interested in sustainable mobility and transport businesses.”
According to her, the NYIF will provide the financial backbone for many young innovators to thrive, boosting not only youth employment but also our economy at large.
“We look forward to collaborating with the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi) to deliver on the target of two million tricycles and other forms of transportation using the CNG initiative.
“This will be a remarkable step toward achieving Nigeria’s gas transformation agenda.”
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, said that the country has both informal and formal young people, and the creation of Ministry of Youths was the best thing that happened to young people in Nigeria.
According to him, the collaboration will go a long way in creating employment for young people.
He explained that “this initiative will ensure that tricycle riders who are mostly youths, spend only 20 per cent of what they currently spend on petrol.
“It will improve their profit and generally reduce the cost of transportation”.
By Franca Ofili, NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA