- The North East Development Commission will introduce electric vehicles in Northeast Nigeria, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive.
- Alkali further explained that the commission prioritized local content, ensuring vehicle bodies could be fabricated locally in the Northeast or other regions.
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) is to introduce electric vehicles in Northeast Nigeria in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to promote cleaner energy.
Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, who disclosed this to journalists on October 2 at the State House, Abuja, after meeting with President Tinubu, said the commission conducted a thorough analysis of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles (e-vehicles) and concluded that e-vehicles are better suited for the region.
According to Alkali, this decision was informed by plans to create modular solar power units across states, providing a standby power source for the e-vehicles.
He said the e-vehicle fleet would comprise three categories: e-buses designed for intra-state movements with a minimum capacity of 40 people per trip, e-taxis capable of carrying three people, including the driver, and modified tricycles enhanced to carry eight people, including the driver.
He explained that the commission prioritized local content, ensuring vehicle bodies could be fabricated locally in the Northeast or other regions. He said, “We are here today to brief Mr President on one very critical activity he has approved that we have had to engage in the last two months.
“As you can recall, there’s a directive from the President that cars as soon as possible should use CNG or electric vehicles, and we at the Northeast Development Commission did a thorough analysis of our region because we cover six states in Northeast Region, and look at the comparable advantage between CNG and e-vehicles.
“After our thorough analysis, we concluded that for the Northeast region, yes, the CNG could work, but e-vehicles can work better for many reasons. “One is that our plan, ultimately, is to create modular solar power units across the state that can be used to power this percentage of e-vehicles.
“On that note, earlier on, we sought and got approval from the Presidency for us to go ahead and come up with the framework of how we are going to deploy this e-mobility in the northeast and what kind of e-mobility, and Mr President graciously gave approval, and today we came to present to him the kind of e-vehicles we are going to introduce in the Northeast.
Speaking on the Northeast’s potential, Alkali said the commission has developed comprehensive master plans covering 11 pillars that will fully activate the initiative’s action plan.
The NEDC boss further stated that the Commission will engage stakeholders, especially road transport workers, thereby integrating their concerns and advice before the final stage of activating the e-vehicles across the Northeast states of Nigeria. “We will engage stakeholders, especially road transport workers, to integrate their concerns and advice,” he added.