Cross River Acquires 720 Electric Vehicles To Boost Affordable Transport

The Cross River State Government has acquired 720 electric vehicles as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs and provide affordable mass transit services to residents. However, the vehicles are yet to commence commercial operations, leaving commuters to contend with rising transport fares across the state.

The acquisition is part of the state government’s response to President Bola Tinubu’s directive of September 19, 2026, asking state governments to accelerate the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles to reduce transportation costs and ensure that savings from cheaper energy are reflected in passenger fares from October 1.

A progress report by the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles listed Cross River among states that had acquired alternative-energy vehicles under the Federal Government’s transportation intervention programme. The state reportedly rolled out 720 electric vehicles, comprising buses and motorcycles, ahead of the October 1 deadline.

However, investigations by Nigerian Tribune revealed that the electric buses procured by the administration of Governor Bassey Otu were still parked at the premises of the state-owned Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa, along Murtala Mohammed Highway, Calabar, with no commercial services yet available to commuters.

The delay comes amid rising transportation costs in Calabar and neighbouring local government areas. Transport fares at Atimbo Road junction have reportedly increased from N600 to N800, while mini-buses operating between Eight Miles and the University of Calabar charge between N800 and N1,000.

Some commercial drivers attributed the increases to rising petrol prices, which have exceeded N1,400 per litre, alongside higher vehicle maintenance costs.

Speaking on the development, the then Commissioner for Transport, Kingsley Egumi, said the state government had adopted a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for the management and operation of the electric buses and was finalising agreements with its preferred investor.

He explained that the arrangement would involve digital revenue management, private operators overseeing the infrastructure and the government providing the necessary facilities.

Egumi added that the installation of charging infrastructure was ongoing, with some components already delivered to the fabrication academy. He also disclosed that mobile charging stations had been ordered to support the operation of the vehicles.

According to him, two Cross River indigenes had completed three months of technical training in China to acquire the skills required to maintain the electric buses and train other personnel.

He said the vehicles would serve intra-city and inter-local government routes once deployed.

Earlier, in January 2026, the former Commissioner for Transportation, Ekpenyong Cobham, disclosed that the state had commenced the procurement of electric mobility platforms, including tricycles, cars and buses, to make transportation more affordable.

In July, Cobham projected that fares on the Eight Miles–Watt Market route, which then cost about N600, could drop to between N150 and N200 when the electric transport scheme became operational.

Beyond vehicle acquisition, the state government has also introduced a six-month electric vehicle repairs, maintenance and assembly training programme for 1,000 youths under the Cross River State Youth Empowerment Scheme.

The programme, implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and Shema Energy Limited, is expected to strengthen local technical capacity, create employment opportunities and support the state’s transition to green mobility.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government’s petrol-price intervention remains another component of efforts to ease transportation costs. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) introduced a N66-per-litre petrol discount on October 1 to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

On October 8, the Federal Government announced an additional 30-day intervention under which NNPC Retail agreed to waive its retail profit margin to support public transport operators and vulnerable households.

However, the extent to which commercial transport operators in Cross River benefited from the intervention and passed the savings on to passengers remains unclear.

Despite the investments in electric mobility and technical training, the delay in deploying the vehicles has raised concerns over the immediate impact of the initiative on commuters.

Residents are now awaiting a definite commencement date, operational routes and affordable fare schedules to determine when the government’s investment will translate into tangible relief from rising transportation costs.