How Nigerian innovator's electric vehicles are changing the face of city travel

Gajibo, a young Nigerian innovator, is addressing urban mass transit challenges in Nigeria in an environmentally friendly way.

The Nigerian has been building electric cars in his home country since 2017 after dropping out of his engineering studies at the University of Maiduguri.

In 2023, Gajibo partnered with the Borno State government to deploy electric taxis in the city that would tackle the high cost of transportation, create jobs and reduce carbon emissions.

“In partnership with Borno State government, we are set to deploy 50 electric taxis in Maiduguri metropolis to create jobs, reduce cost of transportation and carbon emissions, Maiduguri is set to become the city with lowest carbon emissions in Africa,” he announced on social media.

He built from scratch a fully electric 12-seater bus using some locally sourced materials. The bus is fully airconditioned, has a voice command system, and can be charged using a solar-powered system that is built into the back.

The Nigerian stated that switching to electric versions of frequently used city cars with internal combustion engines was the first step in his journey. He concentrated on two vehicle types that locals frequently pay to ride, which are motorised tricycles known as kekes and 7-seater minibuses.

He introduced a 7-seater minibus which can be charged using solar panels and electricity for intra-city travel in 2023.

“This is Phoenix Kaande 7.0, it doesn’t need the N550 (about $0.37) per litre pms to run, can charge with solar panels and electricity at home, can cover 100km on a charge, accepts battery swapping, 7 seater, approved for short range intra city mass transit, cost only N4.8M (about $ 3,267.53),” he announced.

The Nigerian innovator also announced a project of converting a hundred 30-seater buses in Maiduguri to lower transportation costs and cut carbon emissions.