Nigeria’s Ambitious Goal of a Clean Transportation Sector. Although the challenges seem immense, a new RMI report lays out a path forward for electric mobility in Nigeria.Sept19, 2024 RMI Kriti Singh, Kelly Carlin, Laurie Stone, Amelia Tenne Sept19, 2024

Nigeria is on a mission to decarbonize its transportation sector. The African continent’s most populous nation has pledged to have all new sales of cars and vans be zero emissions by 2040. This is part of the country’s ambitious goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Electric mobility is the most cost-effective path to achieving these laudable goals. Electrifying transportation in Nigeria will not only help the country reach its climate goals but will also improve the lives of its citizens, many of whom struggle to cope with rising transportation costs resulting from the end of the country’s fuel subsidy.To help Nigeria make the transition to electric mobility, RMI took an in-depth look into the Nigerian transportation sector, analyzing the electric mobility opportunities and anticipated challenges, and providing steps for a successful path forward.

Nigerian transportation challenges..... In May of 2023, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu got rid of the fuel subsidy that kept the nation’s gas prices at a reasonable level. The president said this move was to “rechannel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care, and jobs.” However, this unpopular decision nearly tripled gasoline prices, and has had reverberating effects on the economy in the year since.

Even before the removal of the subsidy, Nigerians had difficulty getting where they needed to go: the 14,000 vehicles the country produces each year is far below annual demand of 720,000. To meet this colossal demand, the country imports hundreds of thousands of vehicles, most of which are used, each year. This reliance on imports does little to benefit the economy, costs the country an estimated $8 billion each year, and produces considerable emissions. And based on the country’s current growth trajectory, the transportation demand in the country is expected to more than double by 2050, with a corresponding impact on greenhouse gas emissions. That is why Nigeria is pushing for change — change that can result in not only economic growth, but also improved access to transportation, economic savings for Nigerians, and reduced air pollution. Our latest report, A Vision for E-Mobility in Nigeria, provides a framework that government officials, EV manufacturers, financiers, nongovernmental organizations, and other transportation stakeholders can use to advance their e-mobility efforts.

6 actions to drive e-mobility growth.....It may seem like an incredibly ambitious goal to electrify the country’s transportation sector in line with its net-zero targets: as the government’s analysis has shown, 60 percent of passenger cars will need to be EVs by 2050, and the electrification of both two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicle fleets would need to move at an even faster pace. However, there is currently a lack of locally available electric vehicles. And even if there were more vehicles available, it would be hard for many Nigerians to afford them as there is very little access to cost-effective financing for EVs. The lack of charging infrastructure in the country, the varying reliability of the grid, and the low awareness of e-mobility options also make it difficult for people to choose EVs over gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. However, our report outlines how Nigeria can tackle these barriers and move forward on the path to e-mobility through six main recommendations.......read on   https://rmi.org/nigerias-ambitious-goal-of-a-clean-transportation-sector/

Opinion: BC NDP gov't overlooking public transit's role in easing cost-of-living pressures. Daily Hive  Michael Hall, Government Relations at Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders.  Apr 26 2026  Public transit is the most powerful affordability tool within the provincial government’s control. Will it continue relying on short-term, stopgap funding, or will it finally introduce a strong, sustainable funding mechanism that enables meaningful expansion of transit service? Many Metro Vancouver residents simply have to drive to work because public transit is either too slow, too overcrowded, or too unreliable. This is both an affordability problem, an economic problem, a social justice issue, and a problem in countless other ways. At the time of writing, gas prices are $2.10 per litre and the average used car in British Columbia is $38,000.  

Not just a new tax, but a sustained expansion of the most powerful affordability measure availableA new funding source for TransLink won’t be just a new tax. It will be what allows the public transit system to address glaring gaps, whether that be lack of capacity in Surrey or long wait times in Maple Ridge. It will be what allows more people to save up to $15,000 per year, and it will be what enables our region to function well: providing people with affordable transportation options and access to more jobs, amenities, services, and leisure. Regardless of what funding tool is chosen, there will be opposition to it. But we know that major public transit investments have been vote-winners across the continent, often in places one might not typically expect. In 2024, residents across the political spectrum in Metro Nashville voted 66 per cent in favour of increasing taxes to fund more public transit. Similar ballot measures passed successfully in Seattle in 2024, Kansas City (MO) in 2023, and Atlanta in 2022. In Ontario, the ambitious GO Expansion plan — a regional rail improvement and expansion project — has upwards of $25 billion committed to it with Ontario premier Doug Ford wanting to expand it even further.It’s the provincial government’s job to secure the long-term interests of British Columbians, not cave to short term whims like ones that resulted in referendums on the HST and public transit funding. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-ndp-public-transit-translink-funding-cost-of-living-affordability-solutions?utm_source=DH-Vancouver-Buzz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ZOOMER260425003_20260427&oly_enc_id=9785B0230856I3D

It wasn't until this year when we saw a turning point. Recruitment and retention was no longer the singular biggest challenge. Instead, a whopping 62% of agencies said communicating transit’s value would be a challenge and nearly 30% identified it as their most pressing obstacle. That’s over a 67% increase compared to 2023.   So what gives? Transit agencies are still grappling with staffing challenges, but some may be seeing progress thanks to raising starting salaries and compensating training costs. Some agencies, like the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), have reached pre-pandemic staffing levels. In October, CTA reported it surpassed pre-pandemic staffing levels for its bus and rail operators. According to Transit Chicago as of December 2025, CTA employs more than 4,000 full-time bus operators and 880 rail operators. On the other hand, it’s possible recruitment has been placed on the back burner while agencies, such as TriMet, reduce staffing levels to address pending budget shortfalls. 

But why is communicating transit’s value to public officials especially difficult this year? I believe several factors are at play. First, the reauthorization of surface transportation funding is a big undertaking. A lot is at stake, and what’s decided by this Congress will have long-term implications for the industry. Succinctly telling a clear, compelling story about how funding decisions or new policies will affect transit can be challenging.....read on         https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/blog/55354431/editors-notebook-when-communicating-transits-value-becomes-agencies-top-challenge?utm_source=MASS+Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS260325082&o_eid=9713B3069034J6D&rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|9713B3069034J6D

States Can Quantify the Benefits of Climate-Friendly Transportation Options With RMI’s Smarter MODES Calculator. RMI   Drew Veysey, Bryn Grunwald, Ryan Warsing, Jackie Lombardi, Miguel Moravec  Feb 15, 2024 Updated Mar 2026 RMI’s Smarter Mobility Options for Decarbonization, Equity, and Safety (Smarter MODES) Calculator helps decision makers visualize the pollution reduction, cost cutting, and life-saving potential of expanded transportation choices that enable efficient, convenient, and car-free trips. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are positioned to significantly reduce transportation pollution, not just with their own programs, but also with the federal funding they alone get to invest. Historic federal funding is now available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or “BIL”). If states spend this funding on expensive, status quo projects like highway expansions, pollution and traffic congestion will rise, health will suffer, and transportation inequalities will persist. If they instead support walking, cycling, public transit, and other clean options, states can reduce these harms and give people of all backgrounds better access to reliable, affordable, and convenient transportation.

Many experts — including at RMI — have shown the necessity of reducing the miles Americans drive (“vehicle miles traveled” or “VMT”), but VMT reduction alone can’t eliminate America’s transportation pollution. In addition to driving less, we need to swap gas-powered cars with electric vehicles (EVs) and build an electrical grid capable of charging them all. That’s why RMI developed its Smarter Mobility Options for Decarbonization, Equity, and Safety (Smarter MODES) Calculator, which quantifies the benefits of climate-friendly transportation choices in light of customizable EV adoption scenarios. By investing in these choices, states can avoid billions of dollars in energy, healthcare, and vehicle costs, save lives, and prevent huge amounts of pollution.

Consumers win big with transportation choices.....When people can use non-car modes of transportation, they can save money, find and keep jobs, access quality healthcare and education, and more. The Smarter MODES Calculator shows that with practical auto alternatives, the average American household could save $840 in annual fuel and vehicle maintenance costs, essentially canceling their annual internet bill. And by paying less tickets and putting less wear on their cars, the average household could save over $900 per year in vehicle depreciation and parking expenses. Cumulatively, these household savings could exceed $8 trillion by 2050 — or roughly the value of Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon combined.....read on         https://rmi.org/states-can-quantify-the-benefits-of-climate-friendly-transportation-options-with-rmis-smarter-modes-calculator/