Govenor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, tries out the Spiro electric motorbike.

As the push for e-mobility expands across the continent, Spiro, an electric vehicles manufacturer, launched operations in Nigeria's Ogun State yesterday.

The company and the Ogun State government unveiled e-bikes and tricycles as part of the state's e-mobility strategy.

The initiative, according to the government, intends to reduce transportation costs in the state while simultaneously ensuring a cleaner environment by lowering carbon emissions.

The launch was held at Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun's office in Abeokuta and was attended by major stakeholders, government officials, and business leaders.

The first step of the program took place yesterday, with the unveiling of 2,000 electric motorcycles.

This historic development is a watershed moment in the electric mobility environment of Nigeria's largest economy, according to Spiro.

With over 18,000 electric motorcycles already deployed in sub-Saharan Africa, Spiro's planned expansion into Nigeria will see it present in up to eight of the country's largest provinces, including Abeokuta, Ibadan, Lagos, and Abuja.

Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro, said: "Our expansion marks a new chapter for Spiro and the broader EV ecosystem in Nigeria. We'll deploy a significant number of bikes in our first year in Nigeria, enabling a lifestyle shift towards cleaner, more sustainable transportation options. Our goal is to electrify mobility across Africa, and Nigeria, as Africa's economic powerhouse, represents an important step on that journey.”

Governor Abiodun added: "Our administration is committed to mitigating the impact of the subsidy removal and the high cost of diesel fuel while reducing transportation costs for our citizens.

"We will be realizing about 2,000 e-bikes in the first phase. These commercial motorbikes can ride up to 75-80 kilometres on a full charge, and the vehicles can travel up to 200 kilometres, thus reducing transportation costs by 40 per cent.

"We aim to reduce our carbon footprint and bring about a significant change in how we think about transportation in our daily lives. This aligns with our energy transformation program for a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations."