The North-East Development Commission has engaged stakeholders in Bauchi State on plans to deploy 10,330 electric vehicles across the six states of the region. The initiative is aimed at reducing transportation costs and creating employment opportunities.
The initiative comprises 10,000 electric tricycles, 300 electric taxis and 30 electric buses and is being implemented in partnership with Attahir Enterprises Nigeria Limited.
Speaking at the end of a two-day stakeholders’ engagement and sensitisation workshop in Bauchi on Friday, the NEDC Bauchi State Coordinator, Aliyu Isiyaku, said the project was designed to provide affordable, safer and environmentally friendly transportation services.
The workshop, themed “Powering the North-East: Embracing Electric Mobility for a Cleaner, Smarter and Prosperous Future,” brought together transport operators, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Isiyaku said the engagement was aimed at ensuring that stakeholders understood the project and contributed to its successful implementation, particularly at the grassroots.
He said the initiative was expected to create jobs for young people, protect the environment and lower carbon emissions.
According to him, the success of the initial phase would determine the possibility of expanding the deployment of electric vehicles across the region.
He urged stakeholders to support the initiative and sensitise residents to ensure its acceptance and sustainability.
The Chief Executive Officer of Attahir Enterprises Nigeria Limited, Umar Abacha, said the electric vehicles could travel up to 300 kilometres on a full charge.
He explained that the electric buses and taxis would primarily operate in urban centres, while three charging points would be established to support their operations.
Abacha added that the electric tricycles would be deployed to local government areas to extend the benefits of the programme to rural communities.
He said each electric tricycle would come with two charging units, enabling operators to charge their vehicles at home.
According to him, the vehicles would be handed over to the respective state governments for distribution to beneficiaries, who would undergo training before operating them.
He said the training would equip operators with the knowledge required to use the vehicles safely and efficiently.
The District Head of Shafa, Lawal Mohammed, pledged the support of traditional institutions in creating awareness about the initiative.
Mohammed said traditional rulers would sensitise their communities to the benefits of electric mobility and encourage residents, particularly those in rural areas, to embrace the programme.
He called for sustained engagement with community leaders to ensure the initiative achieved its objectives.
Similarly, the Bauchi State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Ismail Abubakar, commended the NEDC and the Federal Government for introducing the initiative.
Abubakar described the programme as a potential means of reducing transportation costs and improving the livelihoods of transport operators.
He urged the commission to distribute the vehicles through recognised transport associations to promote transparency, accountability and fairness in selecting beneficiaries.
He said involving the unions would help ensure that the vehicles reached genuine operators and were used for their intended purpose.
The Chairman of the Bauchi State Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators’ Association, Bala Dauda, also expressed the association’s readiness to support the programme.
Dauda said the association was committed to initiatives aimed at reducing transportation costs and improving the welfare of operators and passengers.
He urged the commission to involve transport unions in identifying beneficiaries, noting that the associations were better positioned to determine the needs of their members.
The Zonal Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Abdullahi Muhammad, equally welcomed the initiative, saying it could reduce transportation costs and create employment opportunities.
“We are very excited and happy about the project because of the benefits it will bring to the people,” Muhammad said.
He, however, stressed the need for proper management and sustainability to ensure that the programme continued to benefit the public.
“My advice is that adequate attention should be given to the sustainability of the project because we believe it will benefit the masses across the country,” he said.
Muhammad cautioned against distributing the vehicles without clear conditions governing their use and maintenance.
He said beneficiaries should understand their responsibilities and the need to maintain the vehicles properly to protect the investment.
He also urged Nigerians not to regard the vehicles as their share of the national cake, stressing that they were intended to provide transportation services and improve livelihoods.
“If the project is properly implemented and managed, I believe it will have a positive impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
The zonal chairman further called on the authorities to distribute the vehicles directly through transport unions rather than handing them over to state governments.
He expressed concern that distributing the vehicles through political structures could result in beneficiaries being selected on political grounds rather than according to need.
According to him, working directly with recognised transport unions would promote transparency, as the associations operate under established constitutions, rules and regulations.
Muhammad proposed that the vehicles be distributed equitably across the state’s three senatorial zones, adding that those who did not benefit from the initial allocation could be considered in subsequent phases.
He said clear distribution criteria and effective monitoring would be necessary to prevent the diversion or misuse of the vehicles.
The zonal chairman identified the high cost of petrol as one of the major challenges confronting transport operators, saying it had increased operating expenses and made affordable transportation increasingly difficult.
He cited the prevailing petrol price of about ₦1,460 per litre as a major financial burden on operators.
Muhammad said electric vehicles could help ease the burden because they would not require petrol, although charging, maintenance and other operational expenses would remain.