In order to alleviate transportation costs, President Bola Tinubu has approved the introduction of electric vehicles in the north-east region of the country.
This announcement was made by Mohammed Alkali, CEO of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), during a briefing with state house correspondents on Wednesday.
Alkali revealed that the decision aligns with plans to establish modular solar power units across the region.
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Following a comprehensive analysis, the NEDC determined that electric vehicles are more suitable for the area compared to compressed natural gas (CNG) alternatives.
Abdulsalam Ahmed, the executive director of operations at NEDC, outlined the three categories of the forthcoming e-vehicle fleet.
They include the e-buses for intra-state travel with a capacity of at least 40 passengers per trip, e-taxis for three passengers including the driver, and modified tricycles designed to carry eight people including the driver.
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Ahmed announced the commission’s commitment to local content, ensuring that vehicle bodies can be fabricated within the north-east or other parts of Nigeria.
He said:
“We are here today to brief Mr President on a critical initiative he has approved, which we have been developing over the past two months.
“As you may recall, there was a directive from the president for vehicles to transition to CNG or electric power as soon as possible.
“After thorough analysis, we concluded that electric vehicles are more advantageous for the north-east region.
“Our ultimate goal is to create modular solar power units across the states to support this fleet of e-vehicles.
“With the president’s approval, we have developed a framework for deploying e-mobility in the north-east, detailing the types of e-vehicles to be introduced.”