In a decisive shift toward urban transport decarbonisation and grassroots capacity building, the Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) has launched an electric vehicle (EV) and electric motorcycle initiative aimed at buffering residents against rising energy costs while curbing municipal emissions.
The initiative, unveiled during a ceremony last week at the Council Secretariat, combines clean mobility deployment with an intensive technical transfer scheme, under which selected local youths will undergo advanced assembly and diagnostics training in China.
Addressing a gathering of state government representatives, traditional rulers, transport union executives and trade associations, the Executive Chairman of Orile-Agege LCDA, Akinola Idowu, described the transition to electric mobility as both an economic imperative and a public health necessity.
Idowu observed that conventional commuting expenses currently consume a disproportionate share of daily earnings for artisans, commercial motorcycle operators and small-scale traders across the metropolis.
“Transportation is central to our daily existence. For many residents, the cost of transportation and the price of petrol take a considerable part of their daily income. Electric vehicles and motorcycles offer lower running costs because electricity can cost less per kilometre than petrol. Any savings made could help operators meet family needs and retain more of their daily earnings,” Idowu said.
Beyond the immediate financial relief for commercial commuters, the council chairman pointed to the ecological and public health dividends of zero-tailpipe-emission transport within high-density suburban precincts.
“In a busy community such as Orile-Agege, road traffic contributes significantly to air pollution and noise. Fully electric vehicles produce no exhaust emissions from their tailpipes while driving. Reducing exposure to traffic-related air pollutants will help protect respiratory and cardiovascular health, particularly among children and the elderly,” he noted.
The initiative is anchored on a technical partnership with Eagle SP Green and Innovations Centre, building upon an earlier solar technology training framework instituted by the council a year prior.
Speaking at the launch, the Managing Director of Eagle SP, Mr. Alagbe Adegboyega, affirmed that the vehicles on display were adapted to withstand local terrain and road infrastructure realities.
“The uniqueness of our product is that it can be charged at home just like a mobile device, eithertermediary battery bank complexities. Because of the topography and occasional flooding on our roads, we conducted extensive field research before finalising the vehicular design,” Adegboyega explained
He added that the long-term objective extends beyond vehicle sales to domestic component manufacturing, including rubber processing for tire production within a five-year horizon.
Reiterating the emphasis on technology localization, the representative of the foreign technical partners, Mr. Michael Wu, stated that the electric motorcycles feature an operational range exceeding 100 kilometres per charge.
“Our goal is not merely trading or shipping assembled units. We are committed to transferring technical knowledge, training local manpower and achieving progressive localization over a 5- to 10-year period,” Wu said.
A central plank of the scheme is human capital development. Local youths drawn from the council have completed an introductory two-week practical course on assembling Semi-Knockdown (SKD) vehicular units.
To consolidate this capability, the council leadership confirmed that nine outstanding trainees out of an initial cohort of 29 have been selected for sponsored foreign training in China, where they will master Complete Knockdown (CKD) assembly lines, battery diagnostics and power electronics maintenance.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Oluwashimilore Ogunshina, described the sponsorship as an opportunity to seed local technical expertise.
“We have been trained on how electric vehicle power systems operate, moving away from traditional internal combustion engines. Going to China will enable us to master the intricate electrical and electronic architecture. Upon return, our objective will be to step down this knowledge to other young Nigerians,” Ogunshina said.
Another trainee, Idowu Stephen, urged youths to embrace vocational opportunities within emerging green sectors, noting that alternative energy adoption is vital to reducing national reliance on fossil fuels.
While advocating for adoption, Idowu urged commercial operators and transport cooperatives to exercise due diligence regarding lifecycle costs, charging accessibility and battery durability before making capital commitments.
He called for sustained synergy between local government councils, the Lagos State government and private sector investors to build out charging infrastructure and battery recycling frameworks necessary for a
The exhibition featured live demonstrations of electric tricycles and motorcycles, offering transport operators and community stakeholders direct insight into operational dynamics, solar charging integration and after-sales maintenance protocols.
Also, over 200 members of the LCDA received N200,000 each to support their businesses.
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