Providing cheap public transportation: The Borno example

BY YAKUBU UBA

Some of the subsidised electric taxis and buses during inauguration in Maiduguri. On his inauguration in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu scrapped the country’s fuel subsidy regime, a decision he described as painful but necessary to save the nation from bankruptcy.

The decision, however, resulted to hike in many services, particularly transportation, which makes movement of humans and goods expensive.

The president, in a swift move to cushion the impact of the high cost of transportation, announced the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses which use cheaper sources of energy for cheaper transport system and urged other tiers of government to key into the initiative.

The Borno Government, therefore, got involved and started providing cheap transportation to its citizens, taking the lead in responding to the presidential advice, as part of a recovery process from the over 10 years of insurgency in the state.

Consequently on Dec. 11, 2023, Borno hosted Tinubu, who visited Maiduguri to inaugurate 107 more vehicles into its fleets of subsidised mass transit buses and cars.

That was after an inaugural fleet which comprised 50 electric taxis, conveying passengers at the cost of N100 per drop, while the buses con vey commuters at N50 per drop, bringing the much-needed relief to thousands of Maiduguri residents, especially workers and students.

At the inauguration of the 107 vehicles, the Borno Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum informed Tinubu that “Mr President, after you announced the subsidy removal and your consequent directive to governors to provide immediate palliative, we in Borno decided to invest massively in a mass transit scheme.”

The president responded by commending the governor for the commitment and show of good governance. Tinubu said “our Excellency (Governor Zulum)… this is exactly the `Hope Renewed’. Thank you for your good job always. Thank you once again for being innovative and creative; for your concern about your people and the good governance you provide.

“We are going to take advantage of your foresight and proactiveness to at the sub-national level, be able to start an assembly plant and add more value to the economy and bring economic prosperity to our people.

“You (Zulum) are doing a good job, thank you very much.”

While presenting the 2025 budget recently signed into law, the Borno governor also renewed his administration’s commitment to not only sustain the cheap transportation system, but to further boost it for maximum results.

The governor announced the state government’s plan to roll out an additional fleet of 50 electric buses, 100 electric cars and 500 electric tricycles as part of the state’s transition toward cost-effective and eco-friendly transportation system.

He said the initiative is not just to provide cheap transportation, but a step toward replacing the current combustion-engine transit system with zero-emission electric-powered vehicles.

According to Zulum, 120 electric vehicles charging terminals will be established within Maiduguri and environs to meet the demands of more electric vehicles that will be introduced.

Malam Dauda Iliya, the Governor’s Spokesperson, pointed out that while commuters like workers and students now have the luxury of cheap transportation within the populated Maiduguri city and environs, farmers in Maiduguri that need to go to their farmlands at the outskirts of the city would be transported free.

Iliya also spoke about the annual provision of free transport to nonindigenes of Borno wishing to travel for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

According to him, no fewer than 710 people were provided the opportunity in December 2024.

He said “the free transport initiative is to enable non-Indigenes residing in the state to travel home for Christmas and the New Year celebrations.

“This initiative, introduced since 2020 by Gov. Zulum’s administration, aims to ease the economic challenges faced by the less privileged, particularly in light of the fuel subsidy removal and ensure non-indigenes celebrate the festive season with their loved ones.