Delta state governor sets up committee to consider locally assembled electric vehicles for mass transportation

The governor of Nigeria’s Delta state is forming a committee to discover electric vehicles for mass transit after gas subsidy removing led to tripled gas prices, rising transportation bills for many. 

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state, in south-south Nigeria, is forming a committee to discover the usage of electric vehicles for mass transportation. This determination comes after the federal authorities eliminated gas subsidies, inflicting the price of gas to nearly triple. The subsidies have been discontinued as a result of they have been changing into too costly, costing the nation about ₦4.3 trillion final yr. As a consequence, transportation prices have risen, rising commuting bills, and forcing those that can’t afford it to stroll to their locations in numerous elements of the nation.

Governor Oborevwori introduced his intention to type the committee after test-driving two electric vehicles locally assembled by Nigerian mobility know-how firm, Jet Motors. He mentioned, “The electric vehicles are cheaper; the only thing is that we are still studying this model and we are coming out with our own decision very shortly, to know whether to go in that direction, especially with the present hike in petrol price,” in the course of the announcement.

In February, Jet Motors introduced that Nigeria’s federal authorities, by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), had acquired a few of its electric vehicles together with their charging infrastructure. According to the Chairman of Jet Motors, Chidi Ajaere, electric vehicles are extra inexpensive to handle. He acknowledged, “The two biggest cost drivers for transportation are the cost of maintenance and cost of fueling but with electric vehicles you eliminate the cost of maintenance and the cost of petrol thereby reducing the cost of transportation by almost 80%.”

The day earlier than Oborevwori’s announcement, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, southwest Nigeria,  promised to present electric-powered motorbikes for those that depend on them for transport. This will probably be “a way of easing the financial pressure orchestrated by the increase in fuel price,” he wrote in a tweet.

The nation’s state governors and its federal authorities have additionally launched palliative measures to reduce the burden of upper transportation prices. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state decreased fares of BRT buses by 50% and fares of danfo buses by 25% on all routes. Additionally, President Bola Tinubu secured approval for a ₦500 billion palliative to cushion the brunt of his financial revival measures, together with the removing of gas subsidies. Ironically, this quantity is sort of equal to the cash spent on gas subsidies in 2019 (₦578 billion).