FG Shortlists Universities For Electric Vehicles’ Production

The Federal Government has taken a giant step towards its move to ensuring electric vehicles production in the country.

IT has shortlisted selected 12 universities for the imitative, two each from the geopolitical zones in the country.

Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr Oluwemimo Osanipin, who stated this, said the electric vehicles’ production project would be financed by the Bank of Industry (BOI), collaborating other financial institutions.

Though he did not name the universities shortlisted, he informed the federal government had already built stations in 10 of them in readiness for the project’s takeoff.

Osanipin made the disclosure at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State during a stakeholders’ engagement with the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) and the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (NAMA).

Speaking on the theme: “Import of Used Cars and Dealership Regulation in Nigeria.”

The DG said Nigeria was also committed to component and parts manufacturing as part of its preparation for the production of Made-in-Nigeria vehicles and in fulfilment of the First Nigeria Policy.

“When I came in, one of the major initiatives I pushed for was component development, but let me state here that no country, no company, no OEM manufactures its own vehicle entirely.

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“For example, the company that manufactures Mercedes has suppliers who produce engines for them, but they handle the design and interior. Other suppliers produce bulbs and braking systems. No OEM manufactures all the components, but we are conscious of what happens after sales”

Expressing the optimism Nigeria was on its way to achieving 100% locally made electric vehicles, he added that aside producing parts to service vehicle production, they would produce more parts to service after-sales.

“Let’s say annual production is 500,000, but the vehicles you service on the road amount to about 18 million. What this means is that we need to produce more parts.

“That’s why we are pushing for components and parts production. As of today, we are expanding. We have identified the components that we can manufacture with comparative advantage and lower cost, such as plastic parts, which can be derived from petroleum by-products”.

According to the DG, aside Electric vehicles’ production, there are indeed many things the country could produce here.

“We are working with major assemblers. In terms of design, we have initiated a programme involving twelve universities, two from each geopolitical zone, to design what we call the University Shuttle Bus, which will be 100% electric.,

“It will be designed in Nigeria, and most of the parts will be sourced locally. We are working on it. When the universities complete the design, we will collaborate with assemblers and vehicle manufacturers and seek financial support from institutions such as the Bank of Industry and other financial entities to enable production.

“Gradually, we are progressing towards fully designed and manufactured electric vehicles in Nigeria. In preparation for this, we have started building charging stations in several universities, and in the next few months, we will cover no fewer than ten universities.

By the time we complete this, we will have built some foundational infrastructure. Gradually, we are shaping the future and advancing component parts production”, he stated.