By Abbas Nazil
Adamawa State alone is expected to receive more than 1,000 electric tricycles, alongside electric taxis and buses, under a new electric mobility programme of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC).
The Adamawa State Coordinator of the Commission, Khalifa Lawan, disclosed this in Yola during a stakeholders’ engagement and sensitisation workshop on seamless commuting, where he announced the deployment of 1,330 electric vehicles across the North-East.
The total deployment comprises 1,000 electric tricycles, 300 electric taxis and 30 electric buses, aimed at reducing transportation costs, creating employment for young people and curbing carbon emissions across the six states of the region.
Lawan said the vehicles would enable beneficiaries, particularly youths, to establish transportation businesses, generate income and improve their standard of living.
He explained that the programme was designed to ensure that development interventions translate into economic benefits for households and communities while addressing transportation challenges in the region.
According to him, the Commission’s mandate includes accelerating development across the North-East through investments in infrastructure, education, vocational training, transportation and other essential sectors affected by years of insecurity and economic hardship.
He added that the intervention would make commuting more affordable while reducing dependence on petrol and diesel-powered vehicles, aligning with the Federal Government’s efforts to lower transportation costs and promote grassroots development.
Lawan, however, noted that the availability of charging infrastructure would determine the effectiveness and sustainability of the programme.
He said the Commission plans to establish at least two to three electric vehicle charging stations in each of the six North-East states, with additional facilities to be considered as demand increases.
The Chief Executive Officer of Attahir Enterprise Nigeria Limited, Umar Bunu Abacha, described the initiative as part of broader efforts to develop an efficient, inclusive and sustainable transportation system in the region.
Abacha said the workshop was organised to familiarise stakeholders with the programme’s objectives, anticipated benefits and operational arrangements.
The Adamawa State Commissioner for Transport, Rumpe Anthony, welcomed the initiative but raised concerns about the state’s unreliable electricity supply and the need to establish sufficient charging points before deployment.
The workshop facilitator, Emmanuel Mwada Wapah, highlighted the environmental and economic advantages of electric vehicles, including reduced exhaust emissions, improved air quality and energy security, noting that the vehicles could travel up to 300 kilometres on a full charge.
