By Yemi Olakitan
Nigeria plans to launch 12,000 electric buses in Lagos State over the next seven years, in partnership with China’s bus builder Yutong.
The first two electric buses and charging stations have arrived for a pilot phase. Nigeria also intends to deploy a fleet of 100 electric buses as part of its plan to reduce its carbon footprint and wean itself from dependence on fossil fuels.
President Bola Tinubu announced this on the margins of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
Nigeria opts for electric buses because they are more environmentally friendly, cost-efficient, and modern than conventional petrol-powered buses.
According to the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, the country plans to roll out 100 electric buses across the country as part of its strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and establish itself as a green manufacturing and industrialization leader. The first delivery of electric buses has arrived in Lagos State, where they will be used for public transport.
The electric buses are expected to reduce carbon emissions, increase efficiency, and create jobs for drivers and support staff. The initiative is also aligned with the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan, which aims to construct EV assembly plants in the country. Nigeria is one of the first countries in Africa to adopt electric buses for mass transit, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable development and clean energy.
To enhance the state’s transportation system and sustainable clean energy, the Edo State Government has entered a new partnership with a leading renewable energy company, Oando Clean Energy Limited, for the deployment of electric buses.
This is just as the state government also sealed a deal for a wind energy project with a capacity of 175 Megawatts.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Edo State Government and Oando cCleaEnergy took place at the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Obaseki, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, said the state government was committed to giving every community in the state access to clean energy.
According to him, “Clean energy is here to stay. We are happy to be one of the front runners among other states.
“We have found a partner in Oando Energy. We are happy, and we will make sure that we keep our side of the agreement.”
The Edo State Commissioner for Mining and Energy, Dr. Ojeifoh Enaholo, said the electric bus scheme which will be rolled out in phases will commence with five buses for the take-off phase, while the wind energy project will also commence with a pilot scheme in a bid to revolutionise the electricity sector in the state.
The Commissioner noted that charging stations for the vehicle batteries would be installed with all necessary facilities.
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According to him, the projects were part of the quick wins and finishing strong projects of Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to support the existing structure in the area of power generation.
Oando Clean Energy Limited has taken delivery of the first Yutong electric buses for the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in Nigeria.
The rollout of these vehicles will commence the proof of concept phase of the city’s Sustainable Transport Initiative, which aims to support Nigeria in achieving net zero emissions by 2060.
Yutong Electric Buses Nigeria
Yutong has equipped the buses with Wi-Fi and air conditioning
© Jubril A. Gawat
Under this initiative, over 12,000 Yutong electric buses will enter service during the next 7 years. This will transition the current combustion buses to those with electric drives, first in Lagos State and then across the rest of Nigeria.
Frank Lee, Managing Director, Yutong West Africa said: “This is a watershed moment for Yutong. It’s our first delivery of electric mass transit buses in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first step in the large-scale deployment of an electric-powered public road transport system in Nigeria. We are excited to be embarking on this journey in partnership with Oando, an organization with a history of stellar performance in the energy sector and are hopeful to see a quick turnaround in our joint plans to advance all facets of the country’s transition to eco-friendly vehicles.”
In addition to the new electric buses, which are equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi, OCEL has also taken delivery of the charging stations and spare parts to ensure their effective operation.
An average BRT bus in Lagos travels a maximum of 200km per day, and the new electric buses can travel 280km at full charge.
An average BRT bus in Lagos travels a maximum of 200km per day, and the new electric buses can travel 280km at full charge. Jubril A. Gawat
In the medium to long term, this rollout is expected to deliver improved air quality and enhanced public health, while also enabling the employment of at least 3,000 new drivers and an additional 2,000 workers to support bus maintenance.
President & CEO of OCEL, Ainojie Irune said: “This is a pivotal moment for Lagos State and the country at large. The development of a sustainable transport ecosystem is much more than the deployment of electric vehicles; it’s about reducing the carbon footprint of the seven million public transport commuters and positively impacting the socio-economic indices surrounding transportation.
“The EV infrastructure, built to facilitate optimal efficiency of the buses, will form the artery of tomorrow’s EV utilization in Nigeria by providing charging stations, servicing, spare parts, skills development, and knowledge transfer. For us at OCEL, Lagos State is only the beginning, we look forward to replicating this model nationwide through strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors.”
Nigeria has significant wind energy potential, especially in the Northern states, and it has a 10 MW wind farm in Katsina¹²⁴. However, the wind farm is not operating at full capacity due to issues ranging from insecurity, underinvestment, and poor maintenance.
Nigeria lags behind other African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Morocco in wind energy development. Some of the barriers to wind energy in Nigeria are the lack of commitment by the government, the absence of incentives and a robust policy framework, and the scarcity of funds for research and development.
Therefore, it seems unlikely that Nigeria will use wind energy on a large scale anytime soon unless these challenges are addressed.
However, experts are convinced that Nigeria must move forward on these two if it must meet global environmental expectations.
