Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, on Tuesday said that data obtained from NIPCO Gas, a Joint-Venture Company (JVC) indicated that over 5,600 vehicles in Benin run on Compressed Natural Gas.

Obaseki disclosed this known while speaking with newsmen in Benin,

He called on investors to make investments in alternative sources of energy, such as natural gas, in the wake of subsidy removal, which had led to a hike in transportation costs.

The governor said that NIPCO Gas was a JVC with Nigeria Gas Company Limited (NGC), adding that the initiative for vehicles to run on Compressed Natural Gas was rolled out in 2007 and commissioned in 2009.

He noted that the state had the largest deposit of on-shore gas in the country.

"We are blessed with a lot of gas in Edo. There is really no reason why our tricycles and vehicles should be using petrol.

"We have more gas stations in Edo than any other state. We should be using more gas.

"Price levels would always go up. What we have to do is to open up the economy so that people will have more work to do. We need more manufacturing companies in Edo state," he said.

The governor said that NIPCO Gas had established 15 CNG running stations in Benin to provide an alternative for gasoline-run automobiles.

He said that NIPCO Gas was presently in the process of constructing further 15 stations in and around Benin