Abuja gets $1.5bn electric bus proposal as FCTA seeks private cash
- The FCTA has received a $1.5 billion proposal for electric and CNG buses in Abuja.
- A second proposal would turn the territory's waste into compost and other resources.
- Both proposals must pass feasibility and regulatory checks before any deal is signed.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it has received two private-sector proposals to fix Abuja's transport and waste problems, including one worth about $1.5 billion for electric buses.
The proposals were announced on Thursday at an investment roundtable in Abuja, where the FCTA gathered investors, regulators and development partners to discuss green infrastructure and cleaner transport. The meeting followed the administration's outing at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil.
Nancy Nathan, the acting Head of Service of the FCT, spoke for FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. She said Abuja's rapid growth has stretched roads, power supply and waste collection, and that the city needs new ways of moving people and managing rubbish.
What the two proposals cover
The bigger proposal, from Magnifique Integrated Concept Limited and its partners, is for electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, charging points, supporting power systems and digital transport services. Nathan said the buses would target busy peak-hour routes in crowded parts of the city.
She said the planned transport system would also carry tracking technology, aimed at tackling the "one-chance" robberies and kidnappings that have made some commercial transport trips dangerous.
The second proposal, from Hallmark Technologies and General Services, focuses on turning Abuja's waste into useful products through recycling, composting and waste-to-energy plans. Nathan said the compost would support farmers around the capital.
She also linked the city's ageing vehicles to heavy emissions and the harsh weather Abuja saw this year, and said residents would be sensitised to protect the new facilities from vandalism.
The FCTA's public-private partnership secretariat said both proposals, including the $1.5 billion transport plan, will face feasibility studies, risk-sharing reviews and regulatory checks before any agreement is signed.
Adamu Ibrahim Wanki, who chairs the FCT Green Bond Committee and heads the Treasury and Budget Department, said the aim is to turn expressions of interest into projects investors can actually fund. He asked investors and regulators to agree on financing, responsibilities and timelines.
Benny Ejiofor of the National Council on Climate Change said Nigeria's third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) put the country's climate financing need at $337 billion between 2026 and 2035. She said the council would back the FCT through blended finance, green bonds and concessional climate financing.
A communiqué from the meeting listed electric mobility, renewable energy, waste management, waste-to-energy and climate-resilient infrastructure as priority areas. Participants named poor waste collection, little waste sorting and funding gaps as the main obstacles, and called for private concessions and better recovery facilities.
Uwem Useh, secretary of the FCT E-Mobility Implementation Committee, said talks centred on building bankable projects and the rules and financing needed to draw investors.
What happens next
The FCTA plans to present the proposals at a side event during COP31 to attract more financing and partners. For now, no contract has been signed, and the buses and waste plants will only move ahead if the assessments are passed.
