FG To Roll Out 10,000 Electric Tricycles In August

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ABUJA – The Federal Government has announced plans to roll out 10,000 electric tricycles for use as part of a broad initiative to ease public transportation across Nigeria.

The tricycles will be distrib­uted by the North East Develop­ment Commission (NEDC) in August, 2026, for use across the North-East region and beyond.

Vice President Kashim Shet­tima disclosed this during a courtesy call by The Transport­ers For Tinubu/Shettima 2027.

Shettima said the president “has approved the replication of the initiative in other parts of the country by the various regional development commissions.”

He noted that the priority of the administration of President Bola Tinubu is to move Nigeria from a fragmented transport system to an integrated logistics chain where ports, rail lines, CNG-powered trucks, inland wa­terways, airports and local feeder roads work together to support commerce, agriculture, industry and national integration.

The VP also explained that the Federal Government’s trans­port reform agenda is anchored on the nationwide rollout of Compressed Natural Gas, major port upgrades and a stronger lo­gistics chain.

This, he said, is aimed at im­proving working conditions for transport workers across road, rail, maritime, aviation and pipe­line operations.

He maintained that the Tinu­bu administration is determined to build a transport economy that lowers the cost of move­ment, reduces delays at ports, connects farms to markets, strengthens national productiv­ity and gives transporters a more dignified place in the country’s development process.

“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,” he said.

He said the Presidential Com­pressed Natural Gas Initiative has begun to prove that Nigeria can use its domestic gas resourc­es to reduce the cost of transpor­tation, especially for heavy-duty vehicles, while government con­tinues to address the technical and infrastructure concerns affecting smaller vehicles.

“We said CNG could cut fuel costs by over 60 percent, and many called it fantasy. Today, heavy-duty trucks run on Nige­rian gas, proving sceptics wrong and returning money to your pockets,” he stated.

According to VP, the admin­istration is also pushing reforms in the maritime sector through the operationalisation of Lekki Deep Sea Port, the development of the National Single Window and renewed attention to inland waterways, saying the objective is to make Nigerian ports more efficient and globally competi­tive.

“Before this administration, clearing a container could be­come an encounter with frus­tration, corruption, and decay. We promised to unlock the blue economy. Today, with Lekki Deep Sea Port operational, the National Single Window taking shape, and inland waterways re­ceiving attention, our ports are preparing to compete with the world’s best,” he said.

The vice president assured transporters that the Federal Government would continue to support policies that promote affordable fuel, insurable fleets, bankable contracts and dignified 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. We shall build roads that last, rails that stretch across this great nation, ports that breathe, and airports that reflect our pride,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the Technical Adviser to the Vice President on Transportation, Logistics and Innovation, Prince Segun Obayendo, said the group, which constitutes a critical en­gine of Nigeria’s socio-economic survival, was unanimous in its endorsement and support for the Tinubu/Shettima presidency in the 2027 presidential election.

He said the executives of all the groups in the nation’s transport sector comprising air, maritime, rail and road unions, had consulted widely and were emphatic about their convic­tion and support for the Tinu­bu administration based on its achievements across different sectors.