The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to launch an electric campus transportation scheme across 12 pilot tertiary institutions in November 2025.

TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by its National Secretary, Comrade Shedrack Anzaku, according to the News media.

Echono said the initiative was designed to ease mobility challenges faced by students nationwide. He explained that the project was part of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to improve student welfare and enhance learning environments through innovation and inclusion.

According to him, the electric shuttle service will be managed by students to promote accountability and sustainability, with charging stations set up within each participating campus. The rides, he added, will be offered at minimal cost to ensure affordability for all students.

“Students currently face many risks and spend so much time moving around campuses, especially those who live off-campus. 

“From next month, we will be launching electric student shuttle services in selected institutions. 

“The vehicles will be managed by students themselves to ensure accountability and sustainability,” Echono stated. 

Media report further noted that, “He added that the electric vehicles would have designated charging points on each campus, with minimal costs per ride to ensure affordability.” 

Echono noted that the transport scheme was one component of a broader set of interventions targeted at improving accommodation, power supply, and educational infrastructure across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

He further revealed that TETFund was intensifying investments in student hostels across 72 institutions and would begin commissioning completed projects from December.

The agency, he added, was also scaling up support for research laboratories, digital learning systems, and sustainable power projects to strengthen the quality of higher education and make it globally competitive.

Echono emphasized that the new initiatives align with the administration’s broader goal of ensuring every Nigerian child, regardless of background, has access to quality education through programmes like the National Student Loan Scheme, now managed by NELFund.

In response, NANS National Secretary, Comrade Anzaku, commended TETFund’s transformative impact on campuses, noting that many of the structures and facilities in Nigerian tertiary institutions today exist because of the Fund’s interventions.

What you should know 

While the Federal Government pushes for alternative energy sources for mobility, such as electric and CNG-powered vehicles following the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, automotive expert Richard Akpodiete told Nairametrics that Nigeria’s transition should begin with hybrid options.

He explained that countries like Germany achieved smoother adoption by developing versatile energy infrastructure and aligning incentives, regulations, and urban planning.

According to him, hybrid vehicles offer a practical bridge for Nigeria, allowing users to switch between fuel and electric power until charging infrastructure becomes more reliable.

Earlier in August 2025, TETFund received a record N1.6 trillion allocation for interventions across tertiary institutions, the highest in its history. Of this amount, N70 billion was earmarked for energy projects, including solar and gas-powered systems, while N25 billion was set aside for campus security infrastructure such as street lighting.