As part of the continued efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and help Nigeria contribute its quota to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leading mobility platform Treepz Inc through its Nigerian subsidiary, Treepz Nigeria, has partnered with FEMADEC Group to deploy natural gas-powered mass transit buses in Lagos, Nigeria.
FEMADEC Express Ltd, a subdivision of FEMADEC Group, specialises in compressed natural gas-powered mass transportation and logistics. With compressed natural gas (CNG) being identified as a viable source of sustainable energy, its use as a vehicular fuel is said to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% compared to oil-based fuels like petroleum.
Speaking on the partnership which kicked off with buses plying different routes in Lagos, President and Co-founder of Treepz Inc, Johnny Enagwolor said: “Together, Treepz and FEMADEC can help promote decarbonization in Lagos and cushion the impact of petrol scarcity when it arises. With more environmentally-friendly buses on our roads, we will greatly reduce harmful vehicular emissions that pose a health risk to us”
According to CEO of FEMADEC Group, Mr. Fola Akinola, this partnership forms part of the company’s strategy to promote a greener African transport ecosystem.
He said: “Working with like-minded partners like Treepz will help us achieve our sustainability goals. Through this partnership, we look forward to playing a driving role in green transport innovations in Nigeria’’.
According to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the road transport sector in Lagos is a primary source of air and noise pollution and is responsible for 50% of the greenhouse gases emitted from the transport sector in Nigeria.
Given the robustness of this finding, it is important that private sector organisations support governmental efforts by adopting safer, eco-friendly transport options.
Through this partnership with FEMADEC, Treepz is actively supporting the Federal Government’s autogas policy which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2020 and a pilot phase has already commenced.
Last month, Treepz Ghana also announced that it would be launching an electric bus programme to further improve the quality of transport options and reduce CO2 emissions. This was announced to kick off in partnership with the state-owned bus service network in Ghana.
With 2,000,000+ bookings completed on the Treepz platform since launching 3 years ago, the company is set to continue its “Go green” strategies and expand its services in the three core markets it operates in while seeking partners in new African countries, especially in Southern and Northern Africa.