Fact-Check: No, Abia Is Not the First Nigerian State To Launch Electric Bus Transport System 

BY: Oluwaseye Ogunsanya 

Claim: X user, Dino Speaks 1, claimed that Abia is the first Nigerian state to launch an electric bus transport system. 

Full Text: X user, Dino Speaks 1, claimed that Abia is the first Nigerian state to launch an electric bus transport system. 

The claimant was reacting to the news of the launch of an Electric Vehicle public transport system tagged the Abia Green Shuttle Service by the Abia State Government. 

“Gov’ Alex Otti’s administration has made history as Abia State becomes the first government in Nigeria to introduce an Electric Vehicle public transport system, known as the Abia Green Shuttle” He posted. 

Screenshot of the claim 

This fact-check seeks to verify the veracity of the claim due to its potential to mislead his over 10k followers and social media users generally. 

Verdict: False!

Verification:

FactCheckAfrica conducted a Google search using the keyword “Electric bus system introduction in Nigeria.” The search returned numerous news articles indicating that Lagos State is the first in Nigeria to launch electric buses for mass transit.

Of particular interest was a 2023 report by TheCable titled “Lagos takes delivery of electric buses for public transport — first state to do so.” The report, quoting a statement by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, noted that the Lagos State Government had taken delivery of its first set of electric buses for public transportation through a partnership with Oando Clean Energy Limited. 

Sanwo-Olu explained that the electric buses can travel up to 280 kilometres on a full charge, making them suitable for Lagos’ traffic conditions. 

He added: “With an average daily usage of 200km by existing BRTs, there is no need to fear that the buses can stop while in transit. Our new electric buses will not only reduce carbon emissions but also increase efficiency. This means that Lagosians can say goodbye to high fuel costs and hello to cost-efficient transportation.”

The report concluded that this development makes Lagos the first state in Nigeria to take delivery of electric buses for public transportation. This report was also corroborated by another one here. 

Conclusion: 

Our findings show that indeed Lagos is the first Nigerian state to launch an electric bus transport system and not Abia State.