Key points
- The Federal Government announced plans to roll out 10,000 electric tricycles in August 2026 to ease public transportation.
- Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed that the North East Development Commission will lead the initial distribution.
- President Bola Tinubu approved replicating the green transport initiative across other regions via various development commissions.
- The broader transport reform focuses on connecting ports, rail lines, gas-powered trucks, and local roads into a single logistics chain.
- Leadership from major aviation, maritime, rail, and road transport unions declared their support for the Tinubu administration’s 2027 reelection bid.
Main Story
The Federal Government is finalizing plans to inject 10,000 electric tricycles into the national market this August to improve public transit options across the country.
Vice President Kashim Shettics disclosed the upcoming rollout on Monday during a meeting with the Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 coalition in Abuja. The deployment will begin in the northeast region under the management of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), with President Bola Tinubu already approving similar rollouts for other geopolitical zones through their respective regional development bodies.
According to the Vice President, the administration’s primary goal is transforming Nigeria’s historically disconnected transit networks into a highly organized logistics chain. This system is being designed to link deep-sea ports, rail lines, inland waterways, and local feeder roads to lower cargo delivery times and decrease expenses for businesses.
Shettima highlighted that the ongoing push for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is already proving successful, noting that heavy-duty trucks using local gas have seen fuel costs drop by up to 60%. He also pointed to recent maritime achievements, such as making the Lekki Deep Sea Port fully operational and building the National Single Window platform, as clear signs of structural progress at the nation’s ports.
During the event, transport union executives representing road, rail, air, and maritime workers offered an early endorsement of the Tinubu administration for the 2027 presidential election. Technical Adviser Prince Segun Obayendo and Maritime Workers Union Secretary-General Comrade Oniha Erazua both stated that widespread consultations across the transport industry led to the decision.
Industry leaders noted that ongoing upgrades to infrastructure and promises of better working conditions have convinced workers that sustaining the current policy direction is the best path forward for the country’s economic survival.
The Issues
- Setting up reliable charging infrastructure to keep 10,000 electric tricycles running smoothly across regional routes.
- Managing the bureaucratic steps needed for various regional commissions to replicate the transport program nationwide.
- Ensuring the new National Single Window digital platform successfully eliminates corruption and delays during port clearing.
What’s Being Said
- Describing the ultimate goal of the national infrastructure upgrades, Vice President Kashim Shettima stated: “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.”
- Highlighting the financial benefits of the gas transition for heavy transport, Shettima added: “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.”
What’s Next
- The North East Development Commission will finalize its distribution list and rollout centers ahead of the August launch deadline.
- Other regional development boards will begin drafting localized plans to replicate the electric vehicle program in their areas.
- Transport unions will set up internal mobilization teams to gather member support for the administration’s 2027 campaign.
Bottom Line
The Federal Government will deploy 10,000 electric tricycles through regional development bodies this August, anchoring a wider campaign to build a unified national logistics system that cuts fuel costs by 60% using local gas and secures political backing from major transport unions for 2027.
