In public life, pauses are often misunderstood. In a political environment where speed is frequently mistaken for effectiveness, halting a high-profile empowerment programme can be risky.
Critics are quick to assume failure, sabotage, or incompetence. Supporters grow anxious. Beneficiaries become uncertain. But sometimes, a pause is not a setback—it is a reset.
That is the lens through which the recent resumption of the Electric Motor Vehicles (EMV) Programme in Kogi Central Senatorial District must be understood.
After weeks of speculation following Senator Natasha H. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s announcement at a town hall meeting in Ihima that the programme had been temporarily halted, the Distinguished Senator has now confirmed that the EMV initiative is back on track—stronger, more structured, and fully compliant with regulatory requirements.
More importantly, the restart of the programme offers a broader lesson about governance, public trust, and the difference between symbolic empowerment and sustainable development.
The EMV initiative was never merely about transportation. Conceived as part of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s broader constituency development agenda, the programme aimed to tackle multiple challenges confronting Kogi Central at once: unemployment, rising transportation costs, youth restiveness, environmental degradation, and the exclusion of women from capital-intensive empowerment schemes.
Electric and solar-powered tricycles—locally assembled and designed for commercial use—were to be distributed under a structured model that allowed beneficiaries to earn income while gradually acquiring ownership.
For a senatorial district where informal transportation is both a livelihood and a necessity, the intervention was ambitious. It aligned with global conversations on clean energy while addressing immediate local needs.
Yet ambition without structure can collapse under its own weight.
At a town hall meeting in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan made what many considered an unexpected announcement: the EMV rollout would be paused.
Rather than avoid controversy, she confronted it directly.
“We intentionally paused the rollout to get the structure right,” she told constituents. “Empowerment must be transparent, accountable, and sustainable. Public trust is not negotiable.”
Those words would later become central to understanding the programme’s reset.
Behind the scenes, the pause addressed critical gaps that often undermine well-meaning public interventions. Questions around asset ownership, maintenance responsibility, governance, and long-term oversight were raised—and answered—not through improvisation, but through formal institutional processes.
Regulatory Compliance as a Foundation, Not an Afterthought
One of the most significant outcomes of the pause was the formal registration of the EMV management company with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
In many empowerment programmes across Nigeria, assets are distributed without a clear legal structure. Vehicles change hands informally. Maintenance is ignored. Accountability becomes blurred. Over time, programmes collapse, and public cynicism deepens.
By insisting on CAC registration, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan anchored the EMV initiative within Nigeria’s corporate and regulatory framework. This move ensured:
Defined ownership and management responsibility
Transparent governance and financial accountability
Legal protection for beneficiaries
A structure capable of attracting partnerships and scaling
It was a decision rooted not in politics, but in institutional thinking.
“This programme is not just about distributing vehicles,” the Senator explained. “It is about building capacity and systems that will last.”
Another often-overlooked aspect of empowerment programmes is technical capacity. Vehicles break down. Equipment fails. Without local expertise, beneficiaries are stranded, and projects die quietly.
During the pause, electricians and technicians were trained specifically to maintain and service the EMVs. This step ensured that when deployment begins, the vehicles will not become abandoned assets but functional tools of livelihood.
By prioritising training before distribution, the programme reversed the usual sequence—and, in doing so, increased its chances of long-term success.
From inception, the EMV programme was designed with inclusion in mind. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has consistently emphasised the participation of women and youths, groups often excluded from transport-related empowerment due to cost barriers and cultural assumptions.
Electric tricycles—easier to operate, cheaper to maintain, and environmentally friendly—opened new possibilities. For women, particularly widows and single mothers, the programme offered not charity but economic agency. For youths, it presented an alternative to unemployment and migration.
With regulatory hurdles now cleared and vehicle registrations progressing, beneficiaries are expected to commence commercial operations once final documentation is completed.
“Our goal is to empower our people with dignity,” the Senator said, “by creating sustainable livelihoods, lowering transportation costs, and preparing Kogi Central for a cleaner, greener future.”
In a region grappling with rising fuel prices and environmental degradation, the decision to adopt electric and solar-powered vehicles carries symbolic and practical significance.
While climate conversations often feel distant from rural realities, the EMV initiative bridges that gap by translating clean energy into daily economic benefit. Lower operating costs mean higher income margins. Reduced emissions contribute to healthier communities.
The programme positions Kogi Central not as a passive recipient of global trends, but as an active participant in Nigeria’s gradual energy transition.
Perhaps the most forward-thinking element of the EMV reset is the creation of a newly registered Trust Fund to manage the programme and other constituency assets.
The Trust Fund will oversee:
The EMV initiative
The SNAU Foundation Maternity Centre
Modern markets in Okene and Ihima
This approach addresses a chronic weakness in constituency projects: what happens after the initiator leaves office?
By institutionalising management through a Trust Fund, the assets are insulated from political cycles and personal discretion. Governance becomes collective. Accountability becomes enforceable.
“Structure ensures sustainability,” Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan stated, “and accountability guarantees equitable benefits for all.”
Beyond vehicles and infrastructure, the programme’s next phase focuses on human capital.
The Office of the Kogi Central Senatorial District has announced the commencement of applications for the Electric Motor Vehicle Technical Training Programme under the Operate & Own Model (OOM).
One hundred eligible indigenes and residents will be trained in:
Operation of electric tricycles
Basic and advanced maintenance
Solar-powered systems
Business and fleet management
Successful participants will not only operate the vehicles but gain the opportunity to own them—transforming beneficiaries into entrepreneurs.
“This is empowerment with purpose,” the Senator said. “Creating jobs, promoting innovation, and giving our people the tools to thrive.”
A Broader Political Statement
Beyond Kogi Central, the EMV programme sends a broader message about political leadership.
In an era where public office is often reduced to optics, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s decision to pause, restructure, and relaunch a flagship programme challenges the culture of rushed delivery and short-term applause.
It asserts that credibility matters more than speed. That trust is built through process, not proclamations. That governance, when done deliberately, can still inspire confidence.
Looking Ahead
With regulatory compliance completed, training underway, and deployment imminent, the EMV programme now enters its most critical phase: implementation.
Success will ultimately be measured not by press releases, but by livelihoods sustained, incomes earned, vehicles maintained, and trust preserved.
For the women and youths waiting to apply, for technicians gaining new skills, and for communities watching closely, the story of the EMV programme is no longer about a pause.
It is about progress—earned, structured, and accountable.
And in a political climate hungry for substance, that may be its most powerful achievement.
From Pause to Progress: Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Revives Kogi Central’s EMV Programme
