As petrol prices soar, electric bikes gain ground in Nigeria

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that electric motorcycles are slowly gaining traction in Gombe, Nigeria, as riders look for ways to cope with sharply higher petrol prices after President Bola Tinubu ended the country’s fuel subsidy in May 2023. The article describes a noticeable but still limited shift in commercial transport, where quieter battery-powered bikes are appearing alongside the petrol motorcycles that still dominate city roads.

The story focuses on riders and small operators who say the main appeal is lower running costs. One farmer and rider, Ayuba Abubakar, told Al Jazeera he has saved money on fuel and avoided many of the repairs common with petrol bikes, though the upfront cost of roughly 1 million naira remains a barrier for most households. Other riders cited reduced spending on engine oil and the attraction of a near-silent ride.

The report also notes wider constraints on adoption. Nigeria’s unreliable electricity supply makes home charging difficult, especially for people who may only get a few hours of power a day. A clean-energy entrepreneur quoted by Al Jazeera argued that charging bikes with generators would undermine the environmental benefits and suggested solar-powered battery-swap stations instead.

Al Jazeera frames the trend as part of a broader response to fuel-price pressure that is beginning to reshape transport choices in Nigeria, while also pointing to possible air-quality benefits if electric mobility expands beyond a niche market.