The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses and tricycles within and around university campuses across the country under Project SPROUT.

The initiative is designed to ease the rising cost of transportation for students and staff of tertiary institutions.

Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PiCNG & EV), Ismaeel Ahmed, disclosed this during a CNG awareness campaign at Bayero University, Kano.

He said Project SPROUT is a university-focused clean and affordable mobility programme being implemented in partnership with FEMADEC Energy and the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF).

According to officials, the project will involve the construction of CNG refuelling stations and vehicle conversion centres, alongside the phased deployment of CNG buses and tricycles on participating campuses.

In the first phase, 100 CNG buses are expected to be distributed to about 20 public universities, with fares capped at affordable rates such as ₦150 per trip in some institutions.

University staff will also have access to subsidised CNG conversion kits for their personal vehicles, with flexible payment options.

The scheme is already operational or being rolled out at institutions including the University of Lagos, Federal University of Technology Owerri, University of Abuja, and Obafemi Awolowo University, with further expansion planned nationwide.

Officials described the programme as part of efforts to cushion the impact of higher transport costs following fuel subsidy removal while promoting cleaner energy use.