• Senate advances Kalu’s EV Bill, targets green mobility shift
• Protesters shut N’Assembly over contract debts
Having received a request from President Bola Tinubu seeking approval to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to finance part of the 2025 Appropriation Act, the House of Representatives, yesterday, expressed readiness to study the request.
The same day, Nigeria inched closer to joining the global clean energy movement as the Senate passed the Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill, 2025, a landmark proposal sponsored by Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North), for second reading.
However, activities at the National Assembly were again disrupted as local contractors, lawyers, and civil society activists barricaded the complex’s major entry and exit points in protest against N3 trillion allegedly owed to them by the Federal Government.
Tinubu’s request, conveyed in a letter dated October 31, 2025, and read on the floor of the House by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, noted that the borrowing became necessary due to the upward review of the budget by the National Assembly during passage.
The National Assembly had increased the 2025 budget size from the N49.74 trillion proposed by the Executive to N59.99 trillion, resulting in a deficit of N14.10 trillion.
However, only N12.95 trillion was initially provided for borrowing, leaving an unfunded gap of about N1.15 trillion. The President explained that the request “is in accordance” with Section 44 (1–2) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which requires legislative approval for any new borrowing by the Federal Government.
Consequently, the House referred the request to its Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management for further legislative scrutiny. The committee is expected to examine the justification, repayment framework and implications for debt sustainability before reporting back to plenary.
THE Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill aims to establish a national framework for transitioning from fossil-fuel transportation to electric mobility – a move expected to boost local manufacturing, create jobs, and reduce carbon emissions across the country’s major cities.
The bill, which enjoyed overwhelming support on the Senate floor, outlines a detailed roadmap for Nigeria’s shift to electric transportation, emphasising local content development, charging infrastructure expansion and inter-ministerial coordination to drive the policy nationwide.
Kalu, while leading a debate on the general principles, stated that the initiative would transform Nigeria’s automobile and energy landscapes, positioning the country as a continental hub for electric vehicle production.
Under the proposed law, investors and users of EVs would enjoy incentives such as tax holidays, import duty waivers, toll exemptions and subsidies, while all filling stations nationwide would be mandated to install EV charging ports.
The bill also prioritises local industry protection. It mandates that all foreign automakers must partner with licensed Nigerian assemblers and establish assembly plants within three years of operating in the country. By 2030, such firms must achieve at least 30 per cent local component sourcing or face a fine of N250 million per violation. Unlicensed EV importers risk N500 million fine and confiscation of goods.
Beyond incentives, the bill will establish a comprehensive regulatory framework under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, working in conjunction with the Ministries of Transportation, Power, and Environment, as well as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Lawmakers from across the political spectrum hailed the bill as a forward-thinking step toward sustainable development.
THE protest brought vehicular movement to a halt from the National Assembly gate through the Federal Secretariat axis in Abuja, forcing lawmakers, staff and visitors to seek alternative access routes.
Plenary and committee activities were also affected, with some legislators reportedly delayed outside the premises. Brandishing placards and chanting solidarity songs, the contractors vowed to sustain the blockade “for as long as it takes” until payment alerts hit their phones for government projects they claimed to have completed.
Speaking during the protest, the National President of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, Jackson Nwosu, stated that the group had no choice but to take action after years of unfulfilled promises.
The latest protest came just 24 hours after a similar blockade forced lawmakers to suspend plenary on Tuesday. In response, the House went into a closed-door executive session immediately after convening, with discussions believed to be centred on the escalating contractor unrest and its implications.
