Northeast Development Commission distributes 10,000 e-vehicles to beneficiaries

North-East Development Commission says it has concluded arrangement to supply 10,000 electric-powered vehicles to beneficiaries in the region in its earnest bid to improve transportation and reduce the suffering of commuters.

The Managing Director of the commission, Mr. Mohammed Alkali, who announced the development at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, said the vehicles would include four-seater taxi cars, 40-seater buses and nine-seater tricycles.

Mr. Alkali disclosed that out of the number, the agency had already procured 300 of the buses that would be deployed for inter-state transportation within the region.

The Managing Director, who was flanked by the Chairman of the NEDC, Maj-Gen Paul Tarfa, also announced that the board had approved the establishment of a 50 megawatts power project worth N100 billion so as to improve the development of the region.

According to Alkali, the process of establishing the power project would start immediately using solar-powered mini-grid modular system.

Alkali announced that the board had also authorized the establishment of solar-powered 1000 boreholes to provide sustained water for the region with a view to improving the healthcare of the citizens.

The MD said 500 of the boreholes had already been provided and that the remaining ones would soon come on stream. He said the board has also approved the deployment of N30 billion for small and medium scale enterprises so as to assist them to recover from years of insurgency and other attacks that had held down the region for many years.

The Managing Director said, “Our aim is to develop entrepreneurs and make them to develop others and to assist those who came out of years of insurgency to recover well and live normal life.

“That is why we have developed some financial and economic programmes to teach the people how to manage their businesses and finances as we provide them with funds for ventures that can assist them,” the MD said.

The managing director said the commission had also provided 1000 solar street light across states in the Northeast and assisted the reconstruction 40 kilometres of road in an agricultural zone in Borno State.

The Chairman of the NEDC, Major General Paul Tarfa (retd) said the commission had effectively and deligently carried out its mandate since it was set up over six years ago and is doing more to improve the wellbeing of the people of the region.

The chairman pledged the commitment of the board and members of the commission to make the government of Nigeria to be proud of its investment in the commission through innovative projects for the people.