. Call for regulatory framework for electric vehicle, CNG imports
The House called on the Federal Government to increase funding for public tertiary institutions and prevail on them to suspend proposed increases in school fees amid concerns that rising education costs could undermine access to higher education.
Also, Representatives have called for a transparent regulatory framework for the importation of electric cars, compressed natural gas vehicles and related infrastructure, seeking to link government incentives to investments in local servicing, technical training and refuelling facilities.
The proposal followed a motion moved by Lagos lawmaker, Ademorin Kuye, on the floor of the House on Tuesday.
The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage the management of the institutions on the need to review their tuition structures in line with prevailing economic realities.
The resolutions followed the consideration and adoption of a motion sponsored by the member representing Akoko-South West/Akoko-South East Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Ifeoluwa Ehindero, at Tuesday’s plenary.
The motion, titled “Need to halt the recent increase in school fees by public tertiary institutions and its impact on Nigerian Education Loan Fund,” raised concerns over the implications of rising tuition fees for students and the sustainability of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund scheme.
Ehindero argued that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund was designed around existing tuition benchmarks and institutional cost measures, warning that sudden increases in fees could undermine its objectives.
He said, “Arbitrary or sudden hikes in fees by institutions will undermine the sustainability, equity and effectiveness of the loan programme.”
The lawmaker observed that several public tertiary institutions nationwide, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, had recently increased school fees and other mandatory charges, with some institutions imposing hikes of more than 100 per cent.
According to him, the increases were implemented without broad consultation or sufficient consideration of the economic difficulties confronting many Nigerian families.
“Ehindero said, The House observes that the recent and widespread increases in school fees and other mandatory charges by several public tertiary institutions across the country, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, in some cases, by over 100 per cent, have been implemented without broad consultation or consideration of the economic realities facing many Nigerian families.
“We are worried that if allowed to continue unchecked, these fee increments may create significant disparities in the allocation of education loans, crowd out students from less affluent backgrounds and frustrate the objectives of NELFUND in bridging access to higher education.”
Ehindero, who chairs the House Committee on NELFUND, warned that continued increases in tuition and other charges could force more students to abandon their studies and trigger unrest on campuses.
He said the trend, if not checked, “may lead to increased student dropouts, campus unrest and overall loss of public confidence in Government’s commitment to affordable education.”
Following an overwhelming vote in support of the motion, the House urged the FG to consider increasing financial subventions to public tertiary institutions to reduce their dependence on internally generated revenue from student charges.
It also called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC to engage the institutions’ management to “suspend school fees increment and initiate a comprehensive review of tuition structures to align with economic realities.”
The House further mandated its Committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the extent and justification for the recent increases in school fees across public tertiary institutions.
The proposed review is expected to examine the reasons for the increases and whether the additional charges are justified, against the need to keep higher education within the reach of students from low-income households.
Kuye said the framework on CNG would ensure that companies importing clean-energy vehicles into the country possess the technical capacity and infrastructure required to support their products, rather than relying solely on the benefits of import duty concessions and other fiscal incentives.
The motion noted that Nigeria had adopted policies promoting electric vehicles, CNG-powered vehicles, liquefied petroleum gas vehicles and other clean transportation technologies as part of its energy transition and economic diversification agenda.
Speaking on the substance of the motion, Kuye said, “The House is aware that the Federal Government has introduced fiscal incentives, including import duty and tax reliefs, to encourage investment in clean mobility technologies and improve the availability of adequate charging infrastructures, CNG refuelling stations, maintenance centres, spare parts supply chains, technical expertise, and after-sales support, which are all critical to the success of this policy direction.
“The House is convinced that Nigeria has the opportunity to encourage local investment, technology transfer, employment generation and domestic value addition by linking import incentives to measurable investments in infrastructure and technical capacity.”
The House, therefore, urged the Federal Government to “establish a transparent licensing and approval framework for the commercial importation of electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and related clean mobility equipment.”
It also called on the National Automotive Design and Development Council, in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant agencies, to develop objective criteria for approving importers.
Under the proposed framework, companies seeking approval would be required to meet prescribed eligibility standards, including “the establishment of certified service and maintenance centres in Nigeria, the availability of genuine spare parts and warranty support, and the employment and training of qualified Nigerian technical personnel.”
Importers would also be assessed on their investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure or CNG refuelling facilities, compliance with Nigerian safety, environmental and technical standards, and submission of consumer protection and after-sales service plans.
The motion further urged the NADDC to maintain a public register of approved importers and infrastructure providers to promote transparency and build consumer confidence.
It emphasised that the approval process should remain open, competitive and non-discriminatory, “allowing every company that meets the prescribed requirements to obtain approval without undue preference.”
The House also called for the alignment of tax incentives, import duty concessions and other fiscal benefits with compliance with the proposed regulatory framework, with the aim of encouraging sustained investment in local infrastructure.
The proposal comes amid efforts to diversify Nigeria’s energy sources and reduce dependence on petrol and diesel in the transport sector. The adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles has also increased the importance of developing the infrastructure, technical skills and regulatory safeguards needed to support their use.
While electric vehicles depend on adequate charging facilities and reliable technical support, CNG-powered vehicles require accessible refuelling stations, trained technicians and appropriate safety standards.
The proposed framework seeks to address these requirements by making local support infrastructure and compliance with established standards central to the approval of commercial vehicle imports.
If implemented, the proposal could also help strengthen consumer protection by requiring importers to provide warranties, genuine spare parts and accessible maintenance services.
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