Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu leaves no one in doubt of his bold strides to see the state join other mega cities that are major players in the cleaner environment transit modes. Experts say the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) into BRT fleet in pursuit of cleaner energy in Lagos is the way to go, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE
Lagos is taking giant strides under Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
On transportation, which is the first of the six pillars of his THEMES Agenda, the governor has continued to score high in the ratings of citizens with the improvements on road components by expanding and removing impediments to traffic, and the twin light rail components colour-coded the Blue and Red Rail lines (with the first being electric, while the second is diesel propelled). Now, he has upped the ante with the imminent injection of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and Electric Buses into the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme in the state public transportation shuttle.
When Sanwo-Olu indicated last year that Lagos would soon join other mega cities playing in the electric transit buses league, not many took him serious.
The state has just turned a major curve in rail transit with the Blue and Red Light Rail that formed the nucleus of the LRTS. Last year, the government had announced a partnership with Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) that would see to the conversion of some of the diesel combustive engine BRT into a CNG engines. He also announced the state will soon unveil EVs on its fleet, courtesy OCEL.
While OCEL introduced about 10 CNG buses into the BRT fleet as a pilot phase as a game-changer that would eventually see other vehicles on the fleet move over to gas propulsion, the firm, unknown to citizens was equally busy on berthing in Africa’s fifth largest economy its first Electric Vehicles (EVs). Penultimate week, it announced the delivery of two electric vehicles on the BRT buses fleet, in what again is the pilot phase of the electric BRT bus.
For a state that is yet reaping the goodwill of being the first sub-national government in Africa that would activate two light rails in its multi-modal transportation mix to help reduce the stress of travels on its roads, the news of the imminence of an electric buses on Lagos roads could mean just one thing: The future is here. And that is the message that Sanwo-Olu has remained committed to.
The governor said the government would be pursuing the initiative in its determination to embrace buses that promotes cleaner environment, reduce carbon emission and cut down on the generation of Green House Gases (GHG) that is becoming a global challenge due to the challenges of climate change globally.
Last Friday, OCEL and the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) announced that they had taken delivery of the first set of electric mass transit buses for the state.
OCEL Managing Director Mr Adewale Tinubu, who broke the news in Lagos, said in addition to these electric buses, OCEL has also taken delivery of the charging stations and spare parts needed to ensure their effective operation. The initiative he added is in partnership with Yutong Motors.
Over the next seven years, OCEL, he said would see to the roll out of 12,000 maxi (large capacity) buses, which will transition the diesel combustion mass transit buses to electric, starting in Lagos State. Hopefully, the novelty may eventually move across the country.
On April 28, last year, OCEL and LAMATA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable the deployment of an EV Infrastructure Ecosystem (electric buses, charging stations, and other supporting infrastructure) towards the attainment of a sustainable road transport system.
With the bus’ delivery, Lagos, Africa’s leading megacity and the continent’s fifth largest economy, would be joining Kenya, and the rest of the world in deploying eco-friendly buses to commute within its various urban centres in making commuting climate-friendly.
In a statement, OCEL said it partnered Yutong Bus Co Limited (Yutong), the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, to produce the electric buses, equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
“In addition to the arrival of these electric buses, OCEL has also taken delivery of the charging stations and spare parts necessary to ensure their effective operation.
“Consequently, and in line with the provisions of the partnership between OCEL and LAMATA, the receipt of both the buses and charging stations marks the commencement of our Sustainable Transport Initiative, which is one of the Company’s pipeline projects to support Nigeria in meeting her goal of net zero by 2060,” the statement explained.
It pointed out that, “the company’s strategic vision is to decarbonise the transport system in Nigeria and in the process, strengthen the socio-economic impact of transportation within the country.
“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 $2.6 billion (3.6% of Lagos’s GDP).”
The Oando -Yutong Joint Venture Partnership is expected to, among others, “manufacture and deploy additional electric buses during the Pilot and Roll-out phases of the partnership with Lagos State through LAMATA; design and facilitate training programmes targeted at the following critical stakeholders – bus drivers, bus operators, and regulators including but not limited to LAMATA and the Ministry of Transport.
“Provide technical support and after-sales service; manage a supply chain network to support the availability of spare parts as and when required; construction of a local EV assembly plant to boost indigenous capacity.”
Commenting on the feat achieved, the Managing Director, Yutong West Africa, Mr. Frank Lee stated: “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.
“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.
For her part, the Managing Director of LAMATA, Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo said: “The arrival of the electric buses confirms Lagos State Government’s commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas effects, using modern rolling stock, powered by clean energy, in the state’s transport operations.
“It is for this reason we are partnering with the private sector to facilitate the transition to the use of cleaner energy in public transport thereby actualizing our vision of a transport system that provides options to the people and improves their lifestyle by reducing carbon emissions generated by fossil fuelled rolling stock, through the gradual phasing out of vehicles contributing to the pollution of the environment.”
OCEL Chairman, 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.
“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.”
In his remarks, the President/CEO, OCEL, Dr. Ainojie Irune said: “This is a pivotal moment for Lagos State and the country at large. The development of a sustainable transport ecosystem is much more than the deployment of electric vehicles; it’s about reducing the carbon footprint of the seven million public transport commuters and positively impacting the socio-economic indices surrounding transportation.
“The transition from an idea proposition to an operational initiative is validation of our collective commitment to realising the country’s ambition of becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2060.
Kenya became the first African nation to inject electric buses into its operations last year, when the Swedish-Kenyan ROAM released its buses for commuters in the country.
In a compilation by electrek.co, the ROAM Rapid is an electric bus specifically designed to address the unique challenges of public transport in Nairobi and Africa.
In the United States, President Joe Biden, last year launched a fleet of electric school buses in America under the Clean School Bus programme.
Representing Biden at one such event at a high school in Falls Church, Virginia, the US Vice President Kamala Haris and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, Kamala said the CSB, which is a $5 billion electric clean school bus programme is under the Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, the website electrek.co further stated.
A trabsportation specialist Patrick Adenusi who now lives in Singapore is happy Lagos is thinking ahead and planning to inject electric vehicles (EV) in its fleet.
According to him, buses in Singapore are electric, a country like Nigeria where seriousness is lacking should be helped and encouraged to acquire and run electric buses.
The electric buses will reduce environmental pollution. The country will save on volume of petroleum products government is paying subsidy on. There will be reduction in the unemployment market as support staff will be engaged and trained.
LAMATA’s Communication Specialist Mr Kolawole Ojelabi said LAMATA is happy that both CNG and EV are being rolled out at once by the Lagos State Government.
“Both electric and CNG buses use clean energy. We are not limiting ourselves to one for now. LAMATA as you know is not a bus operating agency but regulatory agency, so we are going to work with the private sector to facilitate the use of clean energy vehicles for public transportation,” Ojelabi said.
The Oando -Yutong Joint Venture Partnership will among others, “manufacture and deploy additional electric buses during the Pilot and Roll-out phases of the partnership with Lagos State through LAMATA; design and facilitate training programmes targeted at the following critical stakeholders – bus drivers, bus operators, and regulators including but not limited to LAMATA and the Ministry of Transport.
