Lagos collaborates with World Bank on e-mobility, unveils electric vehicle transport system
The Lagos State government stated that it is currently working with the World Bank to improve the e-mobility system and the economy’s transport sub-sector.
This is despite the fact that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu stated that the launch of Nigeria’s first Electric Vehicle transport system is one of many steps towards establishing a sustainable path on green economy and providing the necessary opportunities for a clean energy revolution.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to significantly reduce carbon emissions across key sectors of the economy in order to improve business ecosystems and environmental quality.
On Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the commissioner for Transport, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, said that in order to improve air quality and advance investment in the clean energy space, his administration launched the Climate Action Initiative in 2020, which culminated in the initiation of a strategic climate change action plan to achieve a low carbon economy by 2050.
The governor went on to say that, as part of the initiative, Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) is collaborating with the State Government via the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to acquire electric mass transit buses, which will kick off the Proof of Concept phase of its Sustainable Transport Initiative.
According to him, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the OCEL and LAMATA will allow for the successful deployment of an Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Ecosystem (electric buses, charging stations, and other supporting infrastructure) towards the achievement of a sustainable road transport system in Lagos State.
The MoU also aims to fill a gap in the current mass transit bus system for the growing number of Lagos commuters, as well as to contribute significantly to the State Government’s larger effort to improve mass transit infrastructure.
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Guo Pengwen, Commercial Consular of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, previously stated that China is ready to support Nigeria’s transition to new energy with a dependable and affordable technology support system.
Pengwen stated that the collaboration with Yutong Bus Co Limited, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, to produce electric buses equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi will aid in the transformation of the state’s transportation system.
He stated that Lagos, with a population of approximately 20 million people, currently suffers from air pollution, the majority of which is caused by the transportation sector, and urged the government to take the lead by investing in the Electric Vehicle Initiative.
OCEL’s president and CEO stated that the company has received the charging stations and spare parts needed to ensure their proper operation.
He stated that, in accordance with the terms of the partnership between OCEL and LAMATA, the receipt of both the buses and charging stations marks the start of the Company’s Sustainable Transport Initiative, which is one of the Company’s pipeline projects to help Nigeria achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2060.
He emphasised that the company’s strategic vision is to decarbonize Nigeria’s transport system while also strengthening the socioeconomic impact of transport in the country. This initiative will transition current combustion mass transit buses to electric over the next seven years, beginning in Lagos State and eventually extending across the country.
In the medium to long term, and in line with its ambitions, its efforts in sustainable transport will result in improved air quality, improved public health, the employment of at least 3,000 new drivers and an additional 2,000 workers to support bus maintenance, depot management and so on, as well as estimated cost savings of US$2.6 billion (3.6% of Lagos’ GDP).
Notably, the company’s EV roll-out strategy is strategically aligned with the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan (NETP), specifically supporting the Government’s roadmap for EV implementation across Nigeria and the company’s ambition to boost local capacity in the medium term through the construction of EV assembly plants.
During the Pilot and Roll-out phases of the partnership with Lagos State through LAMATA, the Oando-Yutong Joint Venture Partnership would lead to the manufacture and deployment of additional electric buses, as well as the design and facilitation of training programmes aimed at the following critical stakeholders: bus drivers, bus operators, and regulators, including but not limited to LAMATA and the Ministry of Transport.
It will also provide technical support and after-sales service, manage a supply chain network to ensure the availability of spare parts as needed and build a local EV assembly plant to increase indigenous capacity.
