FG Readies 10,000 EVs for North-east, Targets 100,000 Jobs

• Maiduguri plant set for Tinubu’s inauguration

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The federal government is set to launch a major electric mobility programme in the North-east, with an assembly plant in Maiduguri, Borno State, preparing to roll out 10,000 electric vehicles and tricycles in an initiative projected to generate employment for up to 100,000 people during the assembly process.

The Minister for Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, disclosed this yesterday after inspecting the electric vehicle assembly facility being managed by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) ahead of its planned inauguration by President Bola  Tinubu.

Momoh said the project had moved substantially beyond the planning stage, with nearly all the targeted vehicles already at the facility and assembly operations underway.

He said the fleet, comprising electric buses, taxis and tricycles, would be deployed across the six states of the North-East, with charging infrastructure incorporated into the programme.

The minister described the project as a significant demonstration of the administration’s transformation agenda, particularly its efforts to combine infrastructure development, youth employment, cleaner transportation and economic recovery in the region.

“Apart from the fact that it will help to improve commuting of people, and create more job opportunities for the youths,” Momoh said, adding that the assembly process itself was already generating employment.

The minister said he had been briefed that the assembly of the 10,000 vehicles could provide employment for not less than 100,000 people before the target is completed.

Momoh said some of the electric tricycles were designed to carry both passengers and agricultural produce, potentially allowing farmers in remote communities to move their commodities to urban markets more efficiently.

He therefore directed attention to the relationship between the e-vehicle programme and ongoing rural road construction, pointing out that the combination of improved roads and appropriate transport could strengthen the connection between rural producers and city markets.

The minister specifically urged the NEDC leadership to ensure that communities along newly rehabilitated road corridors were not excluded from the distribution of the vehicles.

He said rural residents needed the vehicles to evacuate agricultural produce from their communities to urban centres.

The NEDC announced plans in 2024 to introduce 10,000 electric vehicles across the North-East as part of an effort to modernise transportation, reduce carbon emissions and respond to climate-change concerns.

The original plan envisaged a mix of nine-seater solar-powered tricycles, four-seater taxis and 40-seater buses, with deployment across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

The commission had said the programme would be implemented in two phases of 5,000 vehicles each, while charging points would be established across the six states. Plans also included solar-power installations along major routes to support charging infrastructure.

Besides, the commission’s plan to link the vehicles with rural roads is particularly significant because better roads without affordable transport can leave rural communities economically isolated, while vehicles without passable roads cannot deliver their full value.

During his Maiduguri tour, Momoh also inspected rural road projects, including the Ngwom/Kushebe/Gadamari corridor towards Gongulong, and said he had observed substantial improvement.

He linked the road projects directly to the e-vehicle programme, arguing that improved roads would increase the usefulness of the vehicles, particularly for agricultural communities.

The minister also inspected the ongoing construction of the NEDC headquarters in Maiduguri and expressed satisfaction with the pace of work.

He said the project, which was at basement level during his previous visit, had progressed considerably, with the basement completed and another section of the building already under construction. He expressed confidence that the headquarters would be completed within 18 to 24 months.