BENUE STATE LAUNCHES ELECTRIC TAXI PROGRAM
Benue State made a landmark move toward sustainable development on Monday May 5th with the official commissioning of its first fleet of Green Wheel Electric/Solar Powered Taxis, a 100% emission-free public transportation solution spearheaded by the Benue State Investment and Property Company (BIPC). The event, held at the BIPC headquarters in Makurdi, marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s eco-transportation revolution.
Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, BIPC’s Group Managing Director, heralded the launch as a demonstration of the state’s commitment to clean energy, climate action, and innovative economic growth. He emphasized that the project is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the goal to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions and promoting green mobility. The Green Wheel taxi, he said, can travel up to 500 kilometers on a full charge and already has a dedicated charging station at the BIPC filling station.
The electric vehicle program will initially operate in Makurdi before expanding to Gboko and Otukpo later in the year. In addition to lowering transportation costs—rides are expected to start at just N200–N300—the initiative aims to provide jobs, spur local innovation, and create an in-house vehicle assembly plant to train youth in solar-electric vehicle technology.
Esse Mobility, a Nigerian tech firm, collaborated with BIPC to roll out the vehicles. Esse CEO, Okey Esse, said the project is the first of its kind in Africa, with an ambitious target of deploying 500 electric taxis across the state by December 2025. The program is expected to generate over 8,000 jobs by year’s end. Esse described the innovation as a blueprint for states seeking low-carbon alternatives to mass transit systems and urged other sub-national governments to embrace similar initiatives.
