The Ford E-150, 250 and 350 series are good strong vans with lots of power and passenger/cargo room. Also the equivalent in Chevrolet and Dodge is part of the question.

I rode in The ford E series van in Ghana and also saw Chevrolet and Dodge versions. They are very fast and powerful and carry enough passengers to be cost effective on commercial duty. They are in fact the fastest buses on the road there and able to ply a route 2 times a day where a Toyota Hiace would ply 1 time a day with less passengers per Toyota Hiace.
Yes the fuel consumption of the Ford E series is higher, but it seems that the extra passenger and cargo capacity would cover the extra fuel cost.

Anyway, they are working well in Ghana and was wondering why they are not common in Nigeria. I saw a few broken down abandoned by the road side and a few still plying the roads in Nigeria, but only a few...