The Youth Climate Collective (YCC) acknowledges the significant progress the Nigerian government has made in electric vehicle adoption between 2025 and early 2026. The second reading of the Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill, the South Korea manufacturing partnership to build an EV assembly plant in Kano, the ₦58 billion electric bus rollout, and the expansion of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed and Natural Gas (PiCNG) to include EVs are historic wins we have long advocated for.
However, the approved 2026 budget presents a troubling contradiction.
The Presidency plans to spend ₦3.3 billion on purchasing and replacing official vehicles, including ₦2.5 billion for State House operational vehicles and ₦758 million for SUVs, with no indication that any of these vehicles will be electric. The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) has allocated an additional ₦1.2 billion for SUVs and luxury vehicles.
This means that while the government advances EV policies, its own spending remains locked in the fossil fuel era.
Our position is clear: Nigeria cannot lead the electric mobility transition while its official fleet runs on petrol.
We reiterate our demand that: 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 wins of 2025–2026 prove that change is possible. The 2026 budget proves that political will must still catch up to policy. Young Nigerians are watching. We will not stop holding leadership accountable.
Signed:
Surge Africa Organisation
Nature Conservation Advocates For Climate Initiative
Green Climate Africa
Clem Renewable energy and safety Advocacy of Nigeria ( CRESAN)
Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP)
Eco-friendly Sensitisation and Advocacy
Positive Action for Climate Initiative (PACi)
Thrivescape Initiative Ltd/Gte
Eco Diversified International
SustyVibes
Youth Movement For SDGs
Connected Advocacy for Empowerment And Youth Development Initiative.
EIHAA Initiative
Ecocykle Development Foundation
Bays Planet Foundation / She Leads Climate Action
Eyes on the Environment Initiative
TalkClimateAfrica
Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet)
African Community Development Initiatives
Lekeh Development Foundation
Policy Alert
EcoRestoration
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD)
Forest Citizen Conservation Foundation
Youth Sustainable Development of Nigeria
Clean Technology Hub
Uplifting Youth and Social Development Aid (UYSDA)
Centre for Human Rights, Health, Ethnic Harmony and Livelihood Development (CHHELD)
Youth Ambassador for Democracy
Eucliox