FG Unveils 100 Electric Buses for Civil Servants
The Federal Government has unveiled 100 electric buses under the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Programme as part of efforts to ease transportation challenges facing federal civil servants and improve workers’ welfare.
The buses were unveiled on Wednesday at Eagle Square, Abuja, with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, describing the initiative as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to improve the welfare of civil servants.
The first phase of the programme involves the deployment of 37 buses out of the 100 electric buses approved under the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Programme.
Walson-Jack described the initiative as her “parting gift” to federal civil servants, coming less than 24 hours before the end of her tenure as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
She said, “What we have here is 37 buses, being the first instalment of the 100 Electric Buses.”
According to her, transportation has a significant impact on workers’ finances, safety, punctuality and productivity, stressing that affordable and reliable transportation would help reduce the burden on civil servants.
“For many civil servants, the daily commute shapes their finances, their safety, their punctuality, and ultimately their productivity,” she said.
Walson-Jack added that the intervention would enable workers to save money, reduce commuting risks and arrive at their workplaces with more energy to deliver quality public service.
She disclosed that operations would begin with a pilot phase on selected routes before a full rollout, adding that the buses would also be deployed to Federal Secretariats across the states.
“A Special Purpose Vehicle has been established to ensure their proper management, maintenance and long-term sustainability,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, described the project as more than a transportation intervention, saying it brings together workers’ welfare, productivity, industrialisation and technology.
Enoh said each of the 100 electric buses could accommodate up to 200 passengers and travel a minimum of 200 kilometres on a full charge.
Also, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Olu Osanipin, said the first deployment marked the beginning of a phased rollout, with the full complement of 100 electric buses expected to be deployed by December 2026.
Enoh commended the NADDC and other stakeholders involved in the project, urging local manufacturers to invest in factories, deepen local content and develop globally competitive products.
He said the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring that its economic reforms translated into industries, jobs, infrastructure and improved living standards for Nigerians.