Oando Clean Energy Limited, which is a division of Oando Plc, has received a fleet of electric buses intended for transportation in Lagos State.
According to The Punch, the company released an official statement regarding this matter on Tuesday evening.
Oando Clean Energy Limited in 2022 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority to roll out electric mass transit buses, charging infrastructure, and service centres.
Speaking about the development, the Chairman, OCEL, Adewale Tinubu, said, “Audacity and innovation have always been key tenets in our journey to transform Nigeria’s energy future. It’s this spirit that has brought us to this juncture today – at the forefront of propelling Nigeria towards realising her net-zero targets.
“The arrival of our electric mass transit buses and development of an EV infrastructure ecosystem is a reminder that the only way to remain ahead of the curve is by being unafraid to break new ground and consistently looking for opportunities to leapfrog.”
“Furthermore, this project underscores the African saying, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.’ Public-Private Partnerships have been critical to getting the project to this point and will continue to fuel our expansion across the entire country.”
He, however commended the collaborative effort of the Lagos State Government through LAMATA in seeing this project through.
In his words, “The commencement of this project gives us a platform to showcase to other states that is possible and open the door for engagements on bespoke solutions to suit their local needs as well as act as a model to be adopted by other organisations looking to venture into sustainable transportation.”
With the project being the first of it’s kind in Sub-Sahara Africa, the Managing Director, Yutong West Africa Mr. Frank Lee expressed his delight.
He said, “This is a watershed moment for Yutong. It’s our first delivery of electric mass transit buses in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first step in the large-scale deployment of an electric-powered public road transport system in Nigeria.
Speaking about the partnership with Oando, he said, “we are excited to be embarking on this journey in partnership with Oando, an organisation with a history of stellar performance in the energy sector and are hopeful to see a quick turnaround in our joint plans to advance all facets of the country’s transition to eco-friendly vehicles, including the development of local capacity through the delivery of, and exposure to extensive training programs for all stakeholders, from drivers to operators and the regulators.”
“Our foray into Sub-Saharan Africa has transformed us into a global supplier of EVs with customers across the Middle East, Europe, South America and Asia.
Our electric vehicles offer outstanding performance due to their advanced technology capabilities and testing for different terrains; all of which make our buses particularly well suited for use as a public transportation option in Nigeria.”
Furthermore, according to Oando, this action aligns with the company’s long-term plan to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector in Nigeria and at the same time, enhance the social and economic benefits of transportation in the country.
Part of the statement reads, “Over the next seven years, and through the rollout of over 12,000 buses, this initiative will transition the current combustion mass transit buses to electric, starting in Lagos State and eventually across the country.
“In the medium to long term, and in line with our ambitions, our efforts within sustainable transport will lead to improved air quality, enhanced public health, enable the employment of at least 3,000 new drivers and an additional 2,000 workers to support bus maintenance, depot management, etc. as well as estimated economic cost savings of $2.6bn (3.6 per cent of Lagos’s GDP).”
The company also mentioned that its plan to introduce electric vehicles is consistent with the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan, which aims to promote the adoption of EVs throughout Nigeria, and with the government’s plan to establish EV assembly plants as a means of increasing local capacity in the medium term.
