Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has rolled out 100 electric vehicles, comprising 50 cars and 50 tricycles, to empower indigent youths and drive sustainable economic growth across the state.
Speaking during the distribution ceremony in Lafia, Sule explained that the initiative was designed to provide beneficiaries with business opportunities while reducing unemployment. He noted that the vehicles, powered by electricity instead of petrol or compressed natural gas (CNG), mark a deliberate shift towards clean energy and sustainability.
The governor disclosed that a charging centre had already been established at the newly built state secretariat in Lafia, with additional facilities planned for Akwanga and Keffi to serve Nasarawa North and West senatorial districts. More centres, he said, would be built in other local government areas to expand access.
According to him, the first batch of the cars and tricycles will be deployed in Lafia, Akwanga, and Keffi to ease the transportation needs of civil servants and tertiary institutions, including the Federal University of Lafia, College of Education Akwanga, and Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Sule stressed that all the vehicles are air-conditioned and capable of running for an entire day once fully charged. He expressed confidence that the programme would not only create livelihoods for the beneficiaries but also support environmental sustainability.
The Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Justice Muhammad Sidi-Bage (rtd), commended the governor for introducing measures to cushion economic hardship. He urged the beneficiaries to use the vehicles responsibly to reduce transportation costs for residents, while assuring that traditional rulers would continue to support government initiatives in the interest of the people.
