The Federal Government has announced plans to roll out 10,000 electric tricycles into the Nigerian market in August as part of efforts to improve public transportation, lower commuting costs and accelerate the country’s transition to cleaner energy.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Monday during a courtesy visit by members of The Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Shettima said the tricycles would initially be distributed by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) across the North-East, adding that President Bola Tinubu had approved the expansion of the initiative to other regions through the country’s regional development commissions.
“The President has approved the replication of the initiative in other parts of the country by the various regional development commissions,” the Vice President said.
He explained that the Tinubu administration’s transport policy is aimed at transforming Nigeria from a fragmented transport system into an integrated logistics network capable of driving economic growth and national development.
According to him, the government’s long-term vision is to seamlessly connect seaports, railways, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks, inland waterways, airports and road networks to improve the movement of goods and people nationwide.
“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, then to a trader in Ariaria Market or Maiduguri, without delay or policy failure,” Shettima said.
The Vice President noted that the administration’s transport reform agenda is anchored on the nationwide rollout of CNG, modernisation of ports and the strengthening of logistics infrastructure to support commerce, agriculture and industry.
He said the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative had begun yielding positive results, with heavy-duty vehicles now running on locally produced gas, significantly reducing transportation costs.
“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 stated.
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Shettima also highlighted ongoing reforms in the maritime sector, including the operationalisation of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the development of the National Single Window platform and renewed investments in inland waterways to improve efficiency and competitiveness at Nigerian ports.
He assured transport operators of continued government support through policies designed to ensure affordable fuel, insurable fleets, bankable contracts and improved working conditions.
“This administration shall continue to stand with the Nigerian transporter. We shall continue to fight for affordable fuel, insurable fleets, bankable contracts and dignified working conditions,” he said.
Earlier, the Vice President’s Technical Adviser on Transportation, Logistics and Innovation, Prince Segun Obayendo, said transport unions across the aviation, maritime, rail and road sectors had endorsed the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
Obayendo attributed the endorsement to what he described as the administration’s achievements in transport infrastructure and economic reforms, saying the unions were prepared to mobilise support for the President’s re-election.
Also speaking, Secretary-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Oniha Erazua, commended the administration for engaging transport unions and expressed confidence that ongoing reforms in the sector would deliver greater benefits if sustained.
