President Bola Tinubu has approved the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to deploy electric vehicles instead of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles in the region.
Mohammed Alkali, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NEDC, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Wednesday after the commission presented its plan to the President on how to make electric vehicles functional and effective in the area.
Alkali explained that the commission opted for electric vehicles due to the region’s lack of gas resources. He stated, “We are here today (Wednesday) to brief Mr. President on a critical activity he has approved, which we engaged in over the last two months. As you may recall, there’s a directive from the President that cars should soon utilize either CNG or electric vehicles. After a thorough analysis of our region, which covers six states in the North East, we concluded that while CNG could work, electric vehicles would be more suitable for several reasons.”
He added, “Our plan is to create modular solar power units across the state that can be used to power these electric vehicles. We sought and received approval from the presidency to develop a framework for deploying e-mobility in the Northeast.”
Alkali further detailed the types of electric vehicles that will be introduced, stating, “There are three categories. The first is e-buses, which can carry about 40 passengers for intrastate travel. We also have e-taxis designed for three passengers plus the driver and a modified tricycle that accommodates eight passengers plus the driver.”
He emphasized that the tricycles have been redesigned for improved capacity, noting, “Most tricycles typically carry four, but ours can carry eight, and we have made structural modifications to enhance comfort and durability, including larger tires. We are also focusing on local content, ensuring that the vehicle bodies can be fabricated in the North East or nearby regions.”