One year ago, we launched the Drive the Future Campaign with a clear demand: that the Nigerian government, starting with the State House, commit to electrifying its official fleet. We believed the ₦4.76 billion budget for State House vehicles in 2025 could be used to drive change.
The government has done some really good things with its policies. But when we look at the 2026 budget, it seems like the government is trying to go two different ways at the same time.
First, let us celebrate what has been achieved.
The Wins
Between 2025 and early 2026, the Nigerian government did more to advance electric mobility than in the previous decade combined. These were legislative, industrial, and infrastructural transformations.
In November 2025, the Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill passed the second reading on the floor of senate, a landmark piece of legislation that provides a comprehensive legal framework for EV adoption. This bill offers tax holidays for manufacturers, import duty waivers for EV components such as batteries and motors, and toll exemptions for EV users. The bill went further by mandating that existing fuel stations nationwide install EV charging points. For the first time, Nigeria could have a law that actively rewards clean mobility.
In March 2026, President Tinubu approved the expansion of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PiCNG) to include Electric Vehicles, renaming it PiCNG & EV. This move made the initiative the central agency for clean mobility, now overseeing both gas and electric vehicle infrastructure. It signals that the highest office in the land recognizes clean transport as a national priority.
In January 2026, the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment signed a landmark MOU with South Korea's Asia Economic Development Committee to build an EV assembly plant in Kano with an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles. The same legislation requires foreign automakers to partner with local assemblers and achieve 30% local sourcing of components by 2030, ensuring that Nigerian workers and businesses benefit directly.
The government introduced a suite of financial measures designed to make EVs accessible. Import duties on fully built EVs were reduced to 10%, with exemptions from VAT and Import Adjustment Tax. In Lagos State, a $100 million financing facility, created in partnership with the United Bank of Africa and LagRide, is accelerating the deployment of EVs and charging infrastructure.
In December 2025, the Federal Executive Council approved ₦58 billion for 200 electric buses, with 40 already deployed on Nigerian roads.
Starting in 2026, the government introduced stricter import rules for used vehicles, curbing the influx of substandard, polluting cars. The End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Policy, launched by NADDC, creates a structured system for recycling old vehicles, incentivizing Nigerians to transition to greener alternatives.
Taken together, these actions represent a genuine policy revolution. By early 2026, commercial fleets and ride-hailing services were already leading a surge in EV adoption. Analysts began calling 2026 a potential "tipping point" for Nigerian electric mobility. For this, the government deserves recognition.
But Then We Read the 2026 Budget
And we are forced to ask: if the government believes its own policies, why does its own spending contradict them?
The approved 2026 Nigerian budget tells a different story. The Presidency alone plans to spend approximately ₦3.3 billion on purchasing and replacing official vehicles. This includes:
₦2.5 billion for State House operational vehicles
₦758 million for SUVs
₦115 million for tires (including for bullet-proof vehicles, ambulances, and trucks)
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has allocated an additional ₦1.2 billion for SUVs and luxury vehicles. Across various government agencies, vehicle-related allocations have increased by 135%.
There is no line item indicating that any of these vehicles will be electric. No mention of charging infrastructure at the State House. No commitment to piloting the very EVs that Nigerian policy is designed to promote. The government continues to allocate billions for conventional SUVs, luxury vehicles, and tires for fossil-fuel-powered ambulances and trucks.
Our Demand Remains Unchanged
The Drive the Future Campaign is a sustained advocacy until the government aligns its spending with its climate commitments. We reiterate our demand: All newly issued government vehicles must be electric, starting with the State House.
Specifically, we call on the Presidency to:
1. Immediately review the 2026 vehicle procurement plan and convert at least 50% of the ₦3.3 billion allocation to electric vehicles.
2. Publish a clear timeline for transitioning the entire State House fleet to electric by 2030.
3. Ensure that any future vehicle budget includes a mandatory EV procurement target, consistent with the National Automotive Industry Development Plan's 30% local EV production goal.
The Youth Climate Collective and its coalition of CSOs will continue to monitor, mobilize, and demand accountability. The ₦3.3 billion is not just a budget line, it is a test of whether Nigeria's climate promises are real.
Will the State House drive the future, or will it drive us backward?