Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, on Tuesday flagged off a Solar-Powered Campus Tricycle Shuttle Service, a new initiative by the University Management aimed at giving staff and students a cheaper, safer and more reliable way to move around campus.
The launch ceremony took place at the University Senate Building and was performed by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Muhammed Suleiman Audu, on behalf of the Management. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, principal officers, staff, students and members of the Tricycle Operators Association of Nigeria (TOAN) were in attendance.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Usman called the project a major step toward improving welfare on campus through transportation that is affordable and environmentally friendly. He said the solar-powered tricycles would offer a lower-cost alternative to existing options while working alongside motorcycle operators, forming part of broader efforts to strengthen security and mobility within the University.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked Hon. Isah Emmanuel Ojodunwene, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Kogi State, for his role in facilitating the initiative, and commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello for their continued support of the institution. He urged the tricycle operators to act professionally, treat students fairly, keep their vehicles in good condition and cooperate with the University community to keep the service running smoothly.
Speaking earlier, TOAN’s Kogi State Chairman, Comrade Ahmed Sadiq Achemaje, described the scheme as the first organised campus tricycle shuttle service since PAAU’s founding. Achemaje, himself a graduate of the University, pledged that operators would follow campus rules and provide safe, student-friendly service. He added that all tricycles under the scheme would be repainted in the University’s official colours to set them apart from commercial vehicles operating elsewhere in town.
In his own remarks, Prof. Audu praised the state government’s support for the University’s ongoing development and commended Prof. Usman’s leadership since taking office in February 2026, pointing to improvements in academic quality, infrastructure and campus welfare. He also acknowledged Achemaje for mobilising TOAN members behind the project before formally declaring the shuttle service open.
Management expects the initiative to ease transportation on campus, boost security and support a better environment for teaching, learning and research at the institution.
