Federal civil servants in Abuja are set to get a cheaper and cleaner way to commute to work as the Federal Government begins deploying electric buses under its mass transit programme for public workers.
The first batch of 37 electric buses was commissioned on Wednesday at Eagle Square, Abuja, by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack. The rollout forms part of a 100-bus scheme approved by the Federal Executive Council under the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Programme.
The buses are designed to serve designated routes linking residential areas with the Federal Secretariat and other government offices across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
For thousands of workers who spend a significant portion of their salaries on daily transport, the programme could offer some financial relief while also introducing electric mobility into one of the country’s largest public-sector workforces.
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FG ties transport scheme to workers’ welfare
Walson-Jack described the initiative as more than a transport project; she linked it directly to the welfare and efficiency of civil servants.
“For many civil servants, the daily commute shapes their finances, their safety, their punctuality and ultimately their productivity,” she said.
The retiring Head of Service also described the commissioning as a fitting conclusion to her tenure, which ends within 24 hours of the event.
“This commissioning is providentially my parting gift to my dearly beloved federal servants,” she said.
She noted that the buses would continue serving workers after her departure from office.
The vehicles were acquired through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund. Walson-Jack placed the scheme alongside other government measures covering wages, pensions, health insurance, and public service digitalisation.
“Each is a thread in the same commitment that reform must be felt, not merely announced,” she said.
Each bus to carry 200 passengers
The Minister of State for Industry, John Owan Enoh, said the programme would combine employee welfare with efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s automotive industry.
He disclosed that each bus could carry as many as 200 passengers and cover at least 200 kilometres on a full charge.
The initial deployment will operate as a testing phase. Its performance will help shape a larger rollout of electric mass transit services for federal workers.
The government’s decision also comes at a time when pressure persists on household incomes from rising transport costs. For civil servants, particularly those travelling from distant parts of the FCT, a dependable staff transport system could reduce the amount spent on daily commuting.
FG expands electric vehicle infrastructure
The bus scheme is only one part of the government’s push towards alternative-energy transportation.
The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said the government had delivered the first batch of electric vehicles promised to civil servants.
He disclosed that EV-related infrastructure had also been deployed in about 16 universities to support the development of an electric vehicle ecosystem.
Osanipin said the transition to electric and compressed natural gas vehicles would require more than putting vehicles on Nigerian roads. Filling stations, mobile refuelling units, and adequate gas production would also be necessary to make the system viable.
He said the number of companies licensed to retail gas had increased from about four to 81, indicative of growing private-sector participation in the CNG market.
The official illustrated the potential savings with the example of a traveller whose fuel bill reportedly fell from more than N200,000 to about N40,000 on a trip after switching to CNG and refuelling in Kano.
But cheaper fuel has not automatically translated into cheaper transport fares.
Osanipin acknowledged that some fleet operators benefiting from reduced CNG costs had yet to transfer the savings to passengers through lower fares.
He said the government would focus on that issue after fuel availability and supporting infrastructure improve.
The Federal Government is also working on legislation aimed at strengthening the regulatory framework for Nigeria’s automotive industry, Osanipin disclosed.
The electric bus rollout therefore carries two ambitions: easing the transport burden on public servants and pushing Nigeria towards a new automotive economy less dependent on petrol and diesel.
However, its success will depend on whether the government can sustain charging infrastructure, keep the buses operational, and ensure that the promised savings reach the workers the scheme was designed to serve.
