By Moses Akaigwe
The acclaimed initiatives of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) towards achieving a comprehensive and sustainable adoption of the electric vehicle technology in Nigeria, have earned the support of the United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP).
A delegation from the UNDP had during a visit to NADDC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, lauded the efforts of the council in this regard, even as it pledged that the United Nations agency would lend its support in the establishment of EV charging stations across the country.
The United Nations officials applauded the efforts being made by the NADDC under the leadership of the director-general, Jelani Akiyu, to develop the domestic auto industry.
Led by the operations analysts, Sally Musa, the UNDP team also pledged that that more UN agencies and other related international organisations would be willing to key into the many projects the Council has initiated to deepen electric vehicle growth and development.
Musa lauded the achievements recorded by the NADDC through its many projects and programmes, assuring that the UN would partner with the council in the area of training programmes to further empower Nigerian youths.
The delegation was at the Automotive Council for discussions on areas of collaboration between the two agencies aimed at giving fillip to EV-related projects designed to enhance sustainable economic growth and human development in Nigeria.
The UNDP, headquartered in New York, is the United Nations’ largest development aid agency, with offices in 170 countries.
Welcoming the guests, Jelani Aliyu had emphasised the importance the Council attaches to the gradual shift from fossil-fuel vehicles to EVs, stressing that the NADDC is very rapidly focusing attention on the trend, “and we are working towards achieving its comprehensive and sustainable adoption in Nigeria.”
According to the DG, NADDC is also working assiduously towards developing a unique, yet highly applicable electric vehicle that would be in tune with the economic realities in the country.
A world class car designer himself, Aliyu showcased the sketches of the vehicle to the UNDP team, which earned for the council some thumbs-up.
Aliyu also highlighted the council’s establishment of 100 per cent solar powered EV charging stations in three of the country’s prominent tertiary institutions, namely Usmanu Danfodio Unniversity, Sokoto; University of Lagos, and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The DG disclosed that construction work on the charging station at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, which is the only one of the trio that is yet to be officially commissioned, has been completed, and would be inaugurated soon.
The NADDC DG had also highlighted other major achievements, programmes and projects of NADDC, which included establishment of three laboratory test centres at Kaduna, Lagos and Enugu, to ensure global standards of made-in-Nigeria vehicles work on three automotive industrial parks at Nnewi, Oshogbo and Kaduna; construction of 18 automotive training centres across the nation; establishment of three pilot automotive service hubs; and construction of automotive design studio and R&D facility in Zaria.
Also on the list of achievements is the development of NADDC Auto Finance Scheme, which auto producers/assemblers can tap into for the expansion of their facilities while the public can access credit for patronage, thereby stimulating demand apart from encouraging more local production.
The intending partners were excited to see an installed EV Fast Charger which provides quick charging services for the Jet Mover Electric Van on display at the NADDC headquarters. The van is a 100 percent electric vehicle assembled by an indigenous automotive company, Jet Systems Motors.
Sally, who later drove the Hyundai Kona EV, the first electric vehicle to be produced in Nigeria by Stallion Motors, was with the design, performance and features of the sedan.
OEMs, private sector invest over N500bn
The visit of the UNDP officials came days after the NADDC had commended the original equipment manufacturers and the private sector for investing over N500 billion in the Nigerian automotive industry.
” With our {NADDC} support and encouragement, we have enabled the private sector to invest over half a trillion naira to set up vehicles assembly plants and factories across the country,” Aliyu told journalists in Sokoto recently.
The DG was speaking on efforts made by the NADDC to boost the local production of vehicles in the country following the introduction of the automotive policy.
According to him, companies such as Dangote, Sinotrucks, Innoson, Elizade, Lanre Shittu, Honda West Africa, Mikano and Nord, all are currently producing vehicles in the country.
“We also have companies and assembly plants in Lagos, {Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company} Nnewi, Kaduna and Kano while some are beginning to come up in Bauchi, Kano and Ogun states.
“These companies have a combined capacity of producing up to 400,000 vehicles per year,” the Director General stated.
“We are, however, doing a lot to unlock that local potential and put a stop to the importation of new and fairly used vehicles into Nigeria.
“As am speaking, there are individuals and companies that are believed in the current and future economy of Nigeria, enough to invest this huge amount of money,” he explained.
He said the NADDC is in consultation with other multinational companies such as Toyota, Volkswagen and Nissan to come and directly set up their production plants in Nigeria.
” The council is working to effectively implement an automotive policy agenda, with a view to bringing these companies back to Nigeria.
“[This is] because, when these companies come in, they will invest hundreds of millions of dollars”.
“They want to have a guarantee that regardless of whichever government is in power their investments will be protected,” DG said.
According to the Director-General, the council has also engaged an international firm, KPMG, to review the automotive policy.
This, he averred, is to make it now in tune with the extant global movement in producing vehicles.