Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced that the Federal Government will roll out 10,000 electric tricycles in August as part of efforts to improve public transportation and deepen the country’s transport reforms.
VP Shettima made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit by Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027.
According to the vice-president, the tricycles will be distributed by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) across the north-east region.
Shettima said President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the initiative to other parts of the country through the regional development commissions.
The vice-president said the administration’s priority is to move Nigeria from a fragmented transport system to an integrated logistics network.
“President Tinubu’s priority 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,” he said.
Shettima said the administration’s transport reform agenda is anchored on the nationwide rollout of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), port modernisation and the strengthening of logistics infrastructure.
He said the reforms are designed to improve working conditions for transport operators across the road, rail, maritime, aviation and pipeline sectors.
The vice-president said the government is committed to lowering transportation costs and improving connectivity across the country.
“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.
Shettima said the presidential CNG initiative has demonstrated the potential of domestic gas resources to reduce transportation costs.
His words: “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.”
The vice-president also highlighted reforms in the maritime sector, including the operationalisation of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the National Single Window project and renewed attention to inland waterways.
He said: “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.”