The Federal Government will begin the rollout of 10,000 electric tricycles nationwide in August, marking a major step in its efforts to modernise public transportation, lower mobility costs and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to cleaner energy solutions.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed the initiative on Monday while receiving members of Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Shettima, the programme will be implemented by the North East Development Commission (NEDC), with the first batch of electric tricycles deployed across the North-East and other parts of the country. He added that President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the initiative through regional development commissions nationwide.
The Vice President said the electric mobility project is part of the administration’s broader vision to transform Nigeria’s transportation sector into an integrated logistics network capable of driving commerce, agriculture, industry and national development.
In a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Shettima explained that the government is working to link ports, rail lines, inland waterways, airports, CNG-powered trucks and feeder roads into a seamless transport ecosystem.
“The priority of this administration is to move Nigeria from a fragmented transport system to an integrated logistics chain where ports, rail lines, CNG-powered trucks, inland waterways, airports and local feeder roads work together to support commerce, agriculture, industry and national integration,” he said.
Shettima noted that the administration’s transport reform agenda is anchored on the nationwide rollout of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), extensive port modernisation and strategic investments in logistics infrastructure.
According to him, the reforms are designed to improve efficiency, reduce transportation costs and create better operating conditions for stakeholders across the road, rail, maritime, aviation and pipeline sectors.
He said the government’s long-term goal is to build a transport economy that enables the smooth movement of people and goods while connecting farmers to markets and businesses to consumers.
“Our vision is an unbroken logistics chain, where a container moves from a deep-sea port to a rail wagon, then to a CNG-powered truck, and finally to a trader in Ariaria Market or Maiduguri without delay or policy failure,” the Vice President stated.
Highlighting progress under the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Shettima said the programme has already begun demonstrating the economic value of Nigeria’s vast gas resources.
“We said CNG could cut fuel costs by over 60 per cent, and many called it fantasy. Today, heavy-duty trucks run on Nigerian gas, proving sceptics wrong and returning money to your pockets,” he said.
With the rollout of 10,000 electric tricycles and ongoing investments in cleaner energy and logistics infrastructure, the Federal Government says it is laying the foundation for a more affordable, efficient and environmentally sustainable transport system for millions of Nigerians.
