Three-wheeled keke tricycles (auto-rickshaws) are a common sight on Nigerian streets, providing affordable transport. In Nigeria, “keke” refers to the ubiquitous three-wheeled motorized taxis officially known as tricycles. The nickname became popular in the early 2000s with Keke NAPEP, a government program that introduced thousands of these tricycles as a poverty-alleviation and transport initiative​

. The term “keke-NAPEP” combines a local word keke (a term meaning “bicycle” in Yoruba and some other Nigerian languages) with the acronym NAPEP (“National Poverty Eradication Programme”)​

. In Lagos state they were initially nicknamed “Keke Marwa” after Col. Buba Marwa, the military governor who first launched tricycles for public transit in the late 1990s​. Today, keke has entered the vernacular across Nigeria as the shorthand for these three-wheelers, which have largely replaced motorcycle taxis (okada) in many cities and provide livelihoods for thousands of drivers​.

Regional use of “keke”: The term originated in Nigeria but is also understood in parts of West Africa. In northern Ghana, for example, motorized tricycle taxis go by local nicknames such as “Mahama Camboo,” “Yellow-Yellow,” or “keke,” depending on the town​. Despite regional naming differences, the role of the keke is similar everywhere – a cheap, nimble form of urban transport filling the gap between motorcycles and cars. African cities from Kano to Accra have embraced these vehicles for their maneuverability in traffic and low operating costs, though authorities often regulate their use on highways for safety​.

Tuk-Tuks, Auto-Rickshaws, and Other Three-Wheeler Names Worldwide

Around the world, three-wheeled motor taxis like the keke are known by different names. Below are some common regional variations and their origins:

• Tuk-Tuk (Southeast Asia): In Thailand and much of Asia, auto-rickshaws are called “tuk-tuks.” The name is onomatopoeic, imitating the puttering sound of their small engines​
  
  

  . Tuk-tuks are famously popular in Bangkok and throughout Southeast Asia, where their open-air design and agility suit congested city streets​

  
  

  . The term tuk-tuk has also gained international use as a generic label for these vehicles.

• Auto-Rickshaw (India): India refers to these vehicles as auto-rickshaws (often simply “autos”). They are a pillar of urban transport across India, from the smallest towns to megacities. India is a major manufacturer of three-wheelers – for instance, Bajaj Auto (India) sold about 780,000 auto-rickshaws in 2019 alone​. In recent years, India has also seen a boom in electric rickshaws, with an estimated 2.4 million battery-powered three-wheelers on the roads by 2022​.
• Bajaj/Bajaji (East Africa): In many East African countries, the vehicles are nicknamed “Bajaj” or bajaji, after the Indian Bajaj brand which supplies a large number of them. For example, in Tanzania these three-wheelers – commonly used for short trips in cities like Dar es Salaam – are referred to as bajaji​.
• Raksha (Sudan): In Sudan, auto-rickshaws are locally called “raksha.” They have become the most common form of urban transport in cities like Khartoum, second only to buses in usage​.
• Other names: Elsewhere, these vehicles might simply be called “tricycles,” “three-wheelers,” or “mototaxis.” In some places the brand name or onomatopoeic term sticks (for example, South Africa also uses “tuk-tuk” for recently introduced services​, and in Egypt a similar vehicle is called toktok). Despite the different names, all refer to the same class of small three-wheeled taxis that have become iconic in their regions.

QSD’s E-Rickshaws in Africa and Global Markets

A modern electric rickshaw by QSD, resembling a traditional tuk-tuk/keke but powered entirely by electricity. QSD (Xianghe Qiangsheng Electric Tricycle Factory) is a Chinese manufacturer of electric rickshaws that fits squarely into this global three-wheeler category. QSD’s e-rickshaws are essentially electric versions of the classic tuk-tuk or keke, designed to carry passengers or cargo with a battery-driven motor instead of a gasoline engine. The company has been producing e-rickshaws for over a decade and exports them worldwide, reflecting the international reach of this vehicle type. By 2014, QSD (Qiangsheng) had established a stable supply chain delivering e-tricycles to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and India​

– effectively spreading electric tuk-tuks to every corner of the globe. One QSD model is even marketed as an “Auto Rickshaw Electric Keke Napep” for the Nigerian market​, explicitly linking the product to the local name for a tricycle taxi. This underscores that QSD’s e-rickshaws are meant as drop-in replacements for the traditional petrol kekes and tuk-tuks used in those regions.

Relevance and impact: QSD’s electric rickshaws exemplify how the humble three-wheeler is evolving to meet modern needs. In African cities, they offer a potential solution for cleaner and cheaper transport. For instance, Nigeria’s government has hailed electric keke as “game-changers” that eliminate tailpipe pollution, cut noise, and reduce fuel costs for drivers​

. Replacing smoky two-stroke engines with quiet electric motors can greatly improve urban air quality and public health​. The trend is not limited to Africa – across Asia, electrified tuk-tuks are gaining traction as sustainable urban vehicles. India’s rapid adoption of e-rickshaws (millions on the roads) attests to a huge market for such vehicles​. QSD and similar manufacturers are capitalizing on this global push for eco-friendly transport by providing reliable electric rickshaws that meet local needs. In summary, QSD’s e-rickshaws fit into the worldwide category of tuk-tuks/kekes/auto-rickshaws as the next-generation, green alternative – maintaining the convenience and low cost that made three-wheelers popular, while addressing the environmental and economic priorities of African and international markets.