**Shettima says Tinubu building integrated logistics network linking ports, rail, roads

***Waterways transport unions pledge support for Tinubu/Shettima ahead of 2027 polls

The Federal Government will roll out 10,000 electric tricycles in August as part of its efforts to modernise public transportation, lower mobility costs and deepen the transition to cleaner energy sources across the country.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Monday during a courtesy visit by members of Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the electric tricycles, to be deployed by the North East Development Commission (NEDC), will initially serve communities in the North-East before the initiative is replicated in other parts of the country through the regional development commissions.

Shettima said President Bola Tinubu had approved the expansion of the programme nationwide, describing it as part of a broader transport reform agenda aimed at transforming Nigeria’s mobility and logistics ecosystem.

He explained that the administration’s priority is to move Nigeria away from a fragmented transport network to an integrated logistics system where ports, railways, roads, inland waterways, airports and gas-powered vehicles operate seamlessly to support commerce, agriculture, industrial growth and national integration.

“The President has approved the replication of the electric tricycle initiative in other parts of the country through the various regional development commissions,” the Vice President said.

He noted that the administration’s transport reforms are anchored on the nationwide adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), upgrades to port infrastructure and the development of a more efficient logistics chain capable of driving economic productivity.

According to him, the objective is to create a transport economy that reduces the cost of moving goods and people, eliminates bottlenecks, connects farms to markets and improves the welfare of transport operators across road, rail, maritime, aviation and pipeline sectors.

“Our vision is an unbroken logistics chain, where a container moves from a deep-sea port to a rail wagon, then to a CNG-powered truck, and finally to a trader in Ariaria Market or Maiduguri without delay or policy failure,” Shettima stated.

The Vice President said the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) had begun delivering on its promise to reduce transportation costs by leveraging Nigeria’s abundant gas resources.

“We said CNG could cut fuel costs by over 60 per cent, and many called it fantasy. Today, heavy-duty trucks run on Nigerian gas, proving sceptics wrong and returning money to the pockets of transport operators,” he said.

Shettima further highlighted ongoing reforms in the maritime sector, including the operationalisation of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the implementation of the National Single Window project and renewed investments in inland waterways transportation.

He said the measures were designed to enhance efficiency at Nigerian ports, reduce delays and improve the country’s competitiveness in global trade.

“Before this administration, clearing a container could become an encounter with frustration, corruption and decay. We promised to unlock the blue economy.

“Today, with the Lekki Deep Sea Port operational, the National Single Window taking shape and inland waterways receiving renewed attention, our ports are preparing to compete with the world’s best,” he added.

The Vice President assured transport workers that the Federal Government would continue to pursue policies that support affordable energy, insurable fleets, sustainable contracts and improved working conditions.

“This administration will continue to stand with the Nigerian transporter. We shall continue to fight for affordable fuel, insurable fleets, bankable contracts and dignified working conditions. We shall build roads that last, rail lines that connect our people, ports that function efficiently and airports that reflect our national pride,” he said.

Earlier, the Technical Adviser to the Vice President on Transportation, Logistics and Innovation, Prince Segun Obayendo, said leaders of transport unions and associations across the aviation, maritime, rail and road sectors had unanimously endorsed the Tinubu/Shettima administration and expressed support for its re-election bid in 2027.

Obayendo said extensive consultations among stakeholders in the transport industry showed strong confidence in the administration’s reforms and achievements, prompting the sector’s decision to mobilise support for the President’s second-term ambition.

Also speaking, Secretary-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Oniha Erazua, commended the Tinubu administration for engaging transport unions and incorporating their concerns into government policies.

He expressed confidence that ongoing reforms in the transport sector would yield greater benefits if sustained, noting that stakeholders were committed to supporting the continuation of the administration’s programmes beyond 2027.