NEDC Engages Bauchi Stakeholders On 10,330 Electric Vehicles For North-east

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi 

The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has engaged stakeholders in Bauchi State on its plan to deploy 10,000 electric tricycles, 300 electric taxis and 30 electric buses across the six states of the North-east to reduce transportation costs, create employment opportunities and promote environmentally friendly mobility.

The initiative, being implemented in partnership with Attahir Enterprises Nigeria Limited, was unveiled at a stakeholders’ engagement and sensitisation workshop held in Bauchi.

Speaking at the end of two-day workshop yesterday, the NEDC State Coordinator, Alhaji Aliyu Isiyaku, said the initiative was designed to provide affordable, safer and more environmentally sustainable transportation services to residents of the region.

The workshop, themed ‘Powering the North-East: Embracing Electric Mobility for a Cleaner, Smarter and Prosperous Future’, brought together transport operators, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

Isiyaku said the engagement was necessary to ensure that relevant stakeholders understood the project and contributed to its successful implementation, particularly in reaching communities at the grassroots.

He explained that the initiative was expected to reduce transportation costs, generate employment for young people, protect the environment and lower carbon emissions.

According to him, the success of the initial phase would determine the possibility of expanding the deployment of electric vehicles across the North-east.

He urged stakeholders to support the project and create awareness among residents to ensure its acceptance and sustainability.

Providing details of the initiative, the chief executive officer of Attahir Enterprises Nigeria Limited, Gudu Umar Abacha, said the electric vehicles could travel up to 300 kilometres on a full charge.

He explained that the electric buses and taxis would primarily operate within urban centres, while three charging points would be established to support their operation.

Abacha added that the electric tricycles would be deployed to local government areas to extend the benefits of the initiative to rural communities.

He said each electric tricycle would come with two charging units, enabling operators to charge their vehicles at home and improving convenience.

According to him, the vehicles would be handed over to the respective state governments for distribution to beneficiaries.

He added that prospective beneficiaries would undergo training before being allowed to operate the vehicles.

The training, he explained, would help ensure that operators understood how to use the vehicles safely and efficiently.

The District Head of Shafa, Lawal Mohammed Kirfi, pledged the support of traditional institutions in creating awareness about the initiative. He said traditional rulers would help sensitise communities about the benefits of electric mobility and encourage residents to embrace the programme.

Kirfi noted that the involvement of traditional institutions would be important in ensuring that the initiative gained acceptance, particularly among residents in rural communities.

He called for sustained engagement with community leaders to ensure that the project achieved its intended objectives.

Meanwhile, transport unions in Bauchi State have commended the NEDC and the federal government for introducing the electric vehicle initiative, describing it as a potential means of reducing transportation costs and improving the livelihoods of transport operators.

However, the unions urged the commission to distribute the vehicles through recognised transport associations to promote transparency, accountability and fairness in selecting beneficiaries.

The Bauchi State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Ismail Abubakar, commended the commission for the initiative and called for the involvement of transport unions in the distribution process.

He said working with the unions would help ensure that the vehicles reached genuine operators and were used for their intended purpose.

Abubakar added that the initiative could contribute to reducing the financial burden on passengers by lowering the operating costs faced by transport providers.

Similarly, the chairman of the Bauchi State Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators’ Association, Alhaji Bala Dauda, expressed the association’s readiness to support the NEDC in implementing the programme.

He said the association was committed to initiatives aimed at reducing transportation costs and improving the welfare of operators and passengers.

Dauda urged the commission to involve transport unions in identifying deserving beneficiaries, arguing that the associations were better positioned to determine the needs of their members.

He said the involvement of the unions would help ensure that the vehicles were distributed to people who would use them to provide transportation services and improve their livelihoods.

The Zonal Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Comrade Abdullahi B. Muhammad, also welcomed the initiative, saying it could reduce transportation costs and create employment opportunities.

He expressed optimism that the introduction of electric vehicles would help address some of the challenges facing transport operators and passengers across the country.

“We are very excited and happy about the project because of the benefits it will bring to the people,” Muhammad said.

However, he emphasised the need for proper management and sustainability to ensure that the programme continued to benefit the public over the long term. “My advice is that adequate attention should be given to the sustainability of the project because we believe it will benefit the masses across the country,” he said.

Muhammad cautioned against distributing the vehicles without clear conditions governing their use and maintenance.

He argued that beneficiaries should understand their responsibilities and the importance of properly maintaining the vehicles to protect the investment and ensure that the programme remained effective.

He also urged Nigerians not to regard the vehicles as their share of the national cake, stressing that they were intended to provide transportation services and improve livelihoods rather than serve as assets to be misused.

“If the project is properly implemented and managed, I believe it will have a positive impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

Muhammad further called on the authorities to distribute the vehicles directly through transport unions rather than handing them over to state governments.

He expressed concern that distributing the vehicles through political structures could create the risk of some beneficiaries being selected on political grounds rather than according to need.

According to him, working directly with recognised transport unions would improve transparency because the associations operate under established constitutions, rules and regulations.

He proposed that the vehicles be distributed equitably across the three senatorial zones, adding that people who did not benefit from the initial allocation could be considered in subsequent phases.

Muhammad said such an approach would promote fairness, transparency and accountability while ensuring that the programme reached a wider range of beneficiaries.

He stressed that clear distribution criteria and effective monitoring would be essential to prevent the diversion or misuse of the vehicles.

The RTEAN chairman identified the high cost of petrol as one of the major challenges confronting transport operators, saying it had significantly increased operating expenses and made affordable transportation increasingly difficult.

He cited the prevailing petrol price of about N1,460 per litre as a major financial burden on operators.

Muhammad said electric vehicles could help ease the situation because they would not require petrol, although charging, maintenance and other operational expenses would remain.

He noted that the vehicles were expected to cover up to 300 kilometres on a full charge, with the charging cost reportedly estimated at about N5,000.

Muhammad commended the NEDC and the Federal Government for introducing the programme and called for its continued implementation and expansion to reach more Nigerians.

He also urged the authorities to establish effective mechanisms for monitoring the vehicles and ensuring that they remained in commercial service.

For his part, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Aminu Abubakar Muhammad, pledged the association’s support for the programme, particularly in vehicle maintenance.

He said qualified technicians would play an important role in ensuring that the electric vehicles remained safe, reliable and operational throughout their service life.

“Our role in this laudable programme is to ensure that the vehicles are properly maintained by qualified technicians,” he said.

“We will do our best to ensure that the vehicles are kept in good working condition and maintained professionally to guarantee their safety, reliability and long-term benefits to our people.”

He emphasised the importance of technical expertise in sustaining the initiative and ensuring that beneficiaries continued to enjoy its benefits.