The Nigerian government has set out plans for the manufacturing and assembling of locally-made electric vehicles. The initiative will be processed via a collaborative partnership with a Moroccan firm through the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC)
While disclosing the information, the NADDC Director-General/CEO, Joseph Osanipin, said the agreement was reached during his recent participation at the Nigeria-Morocco business forum.
He added that the delegation visited the National Center for Homologation, a regulatory agency for the automotive sector in Morocco, and two local firms.
During the business event, he highlighted investment opportunities the Moroccan industry can gain from the Nigerian automotive sector. He expressed that innovations such as local components manufacturing, electric vehicles, EV infrastructure, and gas-powered vehicles will abound from the partnership.
The NADDC boss also noted that the agency had launched its initial discussion on areas of collaboration with E-move Vehicles Company, a firm involved in EV manufacturing.
“We went for Nigeria-Morocco Business Week. After the forum that NADDC participated in with other businesses in Nigeria, we visited the E-move Vehicles Company. A company that manufactures Electric motorcycles, Electric Tricycles and Batteries. It is also a major player in Energy Storage Systems,” Osanipin said.
He likewise pointed out another collaboration with Univers Acier Steel, a firm in charge of producing parts used by auto companies.
“We also visited Univers Acier Steel. They are steel manufacturing companies whose products are used by auto companies. We have studied their regulations and identified products of electric vehicles we can produce in Nigeria and export to Morocco. The visit allows us to know what we need to do quickly and how we can go about them to achieve results,” he said.
As part of the visit, Osanipin highlighted the tour to Cetiev, stressing the firm as Morocco’s strength in the industry. He added that the NADDC is working to promote a replica in the Nigerian automobile sector.
“We also visited six test centres for different industries and sectors. We toured Cetiev (Technology Partner for Automotive Industries), where all parts are tested before they are certified by Homologation. This is one major way Morocco rides her country of substandard parts.
“We also visited CTPC. This is the centre where all plastics are tested. Vehicles, motorcycles, and tricycles use a lot of plastic and since our return, we have been working to ensure that this collaboration brings achievable results in the automotive sector,” he stated.
What Nigeria stands to gain from the partnership
While expressing the significance of the collaboration with the Moroccan firms, Osanipin stressed that the initiative seeks to promote local production capabilities and enhance technological expertise. He also added that the initiative will reduce reliance on imported vehicles, thereby contributing to economic growth and environmental sustainability.
“The major attraction and reason for visiting is their expertise in battery manufacturing and manufacturing of economy EVs. We want them to produce in Nigeria. Manufacturing the same products in Nigeria will help in our quest for energy transition in mobility. It will create jobs, etc.”
The NADDC boss pointed out that the partnership will create room for more development.
“It is an eye opener and marks the beginning of collaboration and experience sharing on automotive development. We learned a lot and still have a lot to learn from them on regulations, inspections, testing, etc,” he said.
Global rise in electric vehicles sales
According to an International Energy Agency report in April, the world’s electric car fleet is projected to grow by 17 million in 2024. It pointed out that supercar sales grew by about 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2024.
The Global Electric Vehicles Outlook 2024 report provides updated trends and future forecasts reflecting the increasing momentum towards the ‘new normal’ in electric vehicle adoption.
According to the IEA, “The latest outlook finds that global electric vehicles’ sales are set to remain robust in 2024, reaching around 17 million by the end of the year. In the first quarter, sales grew by about 25% compared with the same period in 2023 – similar to the growth rate seen in the same period a year earlier, but from a larger base”.
The report further indicated that the number of electric cars sold globally in the first three months of this year is roughly equivalent to the number sold in all of 2020.
“In 2024, electric vehicles sales in China are projected to leap to about 10 million, accounting for about 45% of all car sales in the country. In the United States, roughly one in nine cars sold are projected to be electric – while in Europe, despite a generally weak outlook for passenger car sales and the phase-out of subsidies in some countries, electric cars are still set to represent about one in four cars sold,” the report reads.
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