Why Women-Led Electric Mobility Could Shape the Future of Nigerian Cities
Nigeria’s changing urban transport landscape presents an opportunity to rethink mobility through clean energy, technology and women-led enterprise, Dr. Abiola Bashorun, Coordinator of the Climate-Smart Sustainability Programme, has said.
Bashorun, who is also Coordinator of the Climate-Smart Agronomy Programme and Partner of the E-Riders Initiative, made the remarks while expressing strong support for Founder and CEO of E-Riders, Eng. Dr. Bahijjahtu Hadiza Abubakar, who is advancing the women-led, female-focused electric mobility initiative.
According to Bashorun, E-Riders is timely because its significance goes beyond ride-hailing, offering an opportunity to connect urban transportation with clean energy, climate action, improved air quality, public health and stronger livelihoods for women.
She said Nigeria’s evolving mobility landscape should not simply be viewed as an opportunity to replace existing ride-hailing platforms, but as a chance to rethink what the next generation of transportation should look like.
“Rather than replacing petrol-powered ride-hailing with another petrol-powered model, Nigeria should seize this moment to accelerate the transition towards e-mobility,” Bashorun said.
She explained that electric vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions and that, as the electricity mix becomes cleaner, their wider climate benefits could increase.
For rapidly expanding Nigerian cities, Bashorun said electric mobility could contribute to cleaner air, quieter transportation and a more sustainable approach to urban development.
She identified the focus on women as one of the most important aspects of the E-Riders Initiative, stressing that women should not only be passengers in Nigeria’s green transition but should also become drivers, fleet managers, technicians, entrepreneurs, investors and vehicle owners.
Bashorun said a well-structured E-Riders model could create employment while opening pathways into vehicle ownership, technical training, digital skills and enterprise development.
“In this way, mobility becomes a platform for economic empowerment,” she said.
Bashorun also linked the E-Riders Initiative to her wider sustainability work with Eng. Dr. Bahijjahtu Hadiza Abubakar, noting that both women are championing the Rural Women Energy Security (RUWES) Initiative, alongside Ms. Jumaima Onyemowo Ella, Head of Secretariat, RUWES.
She explained that while RUWES focuses on clean energy access and economic opportunities for rural women and E-Riders focuses on urban electric mobility, both initiatives are driven by the same principle that women must be active participants and leaders in the green economy.
However, Bashorun stressed that the success of E-Riders would depend on more than the deployment of electric vehicles.
She identified reliable charging infrastructure, financing, maintenance, battery support, insurance, digital systems, safety protocols and driver training as essential components of a sustainable electric mobility ecosystem.
According to her, Abuja could provide a strong starting point for a carefully managed pilot programme that would generate valuable operating data on passenger demand, charging requirements, driver earnings, maintenance and customer satisfaction before the model is expanded to other Nigerian cities.
Bashorun said the bigger question facing Nigeria should therefore not simply be who replaces Uber, but what kind of mobility system the country wants to build next.
She argued that the answer should increasingly include clean energy, electric vehicles, Nigerian enterprise, safer transportation, technology and women-led economic opportunities.
Bashorun said E-Riders has the potential to bring together mobility, climate action, clean air, public health, technology and women’s livelihoods within one initiative.
She added that the initiative could help Nigeria build a cleaner, more inclusive and economically empowering transportation system while positioning women as important drivers of the country’s emerging green economy.
“Cleaner Mobility. Cleaner Air. Stronger Women. A More Sustainable Nigeria.”
#ERiders #EMobility #WomenEmpowerment #CleanMobility #ClimateAction #SustainableNigeria #BeeRenewed
Why Women-Led Electric Mobility Could Shape the Future of Nigerian Cities
Nigeria’s changing urban transport landscape presents an opportunity to rethink mobility through clean energy, technology and women-led enterprise, Dr. Abiola Bashorun, Coordinator of the Climate-Smart Sustainability Programme, has said.
Bashorun, who is also Coordinator of the Climate-Smart Agronomy Programme and Partner of the E-Riders Initiative, made the remarks while expressing strong support for Founder and CEO of E-Riders, Eng. Dr. Bahijjahtu Abubakar, who is advancing the women-led, female-focused electric mobility initiative.
According to Bashorun, E-Riders is timely because its significance goes beyond ride-hailing, offering an opportunity to connect urban transportation with clean energy, climate action, improved air quality, public health and stronger livelihoods for women.
She said Nigeria’s evolving mobility landscape should not simply be viewed as an opportunity to replace existing ride-hailing platforms, but as a chance to rethink what the next generation of transportation should look like.
“Rather than replacing petrol-powered ride-hailing with another petrol-powered model, Nigeria should seize this moment to accelerate the transition towards e-mobility,” Bashorun said.
She explained that electric vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions and that, as the electricity mix becomes cleaner, their wider climate benefits could increase.
For rapidly expanding Nigerian cities, Bashorun said electric mobility could contribute to cleaner air, quieter transportation and a more sustainable approach to urban development.
She identified the focus on women as one of the most important aspects of the E-Riders Initiative, stressing that women should not only be passengers in Nigeria’s green transition but should also become drivers, fleet managers, technicians, entrepreneurs, investors and vehicle owners.
Bashorun said a well-structured E-Riders model could create employment while opening pathways into vehicle ownership, technical training, digital skills and enterprise development.
“In this way, mobility becomes a platform for economic empowerment,” she said.
Bashorun also linked the E-Riders Initiative to her wider sustainability work with Eng. Dr. Bahijjahtu Abubakar, noting that both women are championing the Rural Women Energy Security (RUWES) Initiative, alongside Ms. Jumaima Onyemowo Ella, Head of Secretariat, RUWES.
She explained that while RUWES focuses on clean energy access and economic opportunities for rural women and E-Riders focuses on urban electric mobility, both initiatives are driven by the same principle that women must be active participants and leaders in the green economy.
However, Bashorun stressed that the success of E-Riders would depend on more than the deployment of electric vehicles.
She identified reliable charging infrastructure, financing, maintenance, battery support, insurance, digital systems, safety protocols and driver training as essential components of a sustainable electric mobility ecosystem.
According to her, Abuja could provide a strong starting point for a carefully managed pilot programme that would generate valuable operating data on passenger demand, charging requirements, driver earnings, maintenance and customer satisfaction before the model is expanded to other Nigerian cities.
Bashorun said the bigger question facing Nigeria should therefore not simply be who replaces Uber, but what kind of mobility system the country wants to build next.
She argued that the answer should increasingly include clean energy, electric vehicles, Nigerian enterprise, safer transportation, technology and women-led economic opportunities.
Bashorun said E-Riders has the potential to bring together mobility, climate action, clean air, public health, technology and women’s livelihoods within one initiative.
She added that the initiative could help Nigeria build a cleaner, more inclusive and economically empowering transportation system while positioning women as important drivers of the country’s emerging green economy.
“Cleaner Mobility. Cleaner Air. Stronger Women. A More Sustainable Nigeria.”
#ERiders #EMobility #WomenEmpowerment #CleanMobility #ClimateAction #SustainableNigeria #BeeRenewed