The Federal Government has taken delivery of the first batch of electric vehicles promised to Nigerian civil servants, marking the start of a wider plan to promote cleaner and potentially cheaper transportation across the country.
The development was disclosed by the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Osanipin said the vehicles were fully electric and that more units would be delivered as the government expands its alternative-energy transportation programme. Brandspur Brand News reports that the initiative is being pursued alongside efforts to develop the infrastructure needed to support electric mobility and reduce transportation costs.
The NADDC chief said electric-vehicle infrastructure had already been deployed in about 16 universities across Nigeria, with the government seeking to build an ecosystem capable of supporting wider adoption of the technology.
He also pointed to growing investment in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure, saying policies promoting alternative fuels would only have a significant impact when adequate refuelling and production facilities were available.
According to Osanipin, the number of companies licensed to retail gas has risen from about four to 81, indicating increased private-sector participation in the government’s CNG programme. He said the growing number of operators was also making gas more accessible in some parts of the country.
The potential savings from CNG were illustrated with the example of a traveller whose fuel expenses reportedly fell from more than N200,000 to about N40,000 after switching to CNG. The traveller was also able to refill with gas in Kano, highlighting the expanding availability of the alternative fuel beyond major commercial centres.
However, Osanipin acknowledged that cheaper CNG has not always translated into lower fares for commuters. Some fleet and commercial transport operators, he said, are already benefiting from reduced energy costs without passing the savings on to passengers.
He said the government intended to address the issue in the next phase of the programme, after ensuring that the infrastructure and supply needed for alternative fuels were sufficiently established. Enforcement measures could then be introduced to encourage operators to reflect lower operating costs in fares.
Osanipin said his meeting with Tinubu also covered developments in Nigeria’s automotive industry, including ongoing investments and work on draft legislation intended to strengthen the sector’s policy and regulatory framework.
The Federal Government’s push for electric vehicles and CNG forms part of its broader attempt to diversify the country’s transportation energy sources, reduce reliance on petrol and diesel, and create conditions for a more developed domestic automotive industry.
