The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth of the electric vehicle industry in the country through policies that prioritise local content, innovation, technology transfer and industrial development.

Science and tech minister Kingsley Udeh stated this at the inaugural meeting of the Electric Vehicle Assemblers and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in Abuja.

Mr Udeh said the government was working to ensure that Nigerian expertise, materials and enterprises occupied a central place in the country’s industrial future. He said Presidential Executive Order No 5 remained a major policy framework designed to promote indigenous capacity and local participation in science, engineering and technology-related projects.

According to him, the ministry is collaborating with relevant ministries, departments and agencies to institutionalise local content across strategic sectors, including clean transportation, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and digital innovation.

“Our objective is clear and unwavering: Nigerian talent, Nigerian resources, Nigerian technology and Nigerian enterprises must occupy a central place in the country’s industrial future,” he said.

Mr Udeh added that the ministry was ready to support EVAMAN through policy coordination, research collaboration, innovation support programmes and strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating industrial growth in the EV sector.

EVAMAN’s president, Mustapha Audu, said the inauguration marked a major transition of the association from a caretaker administration to an elected leadership structure.

Mr Audu said that within two years, the association had secured legal recognition through registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission and established partnerships with government institutions and industry stakeholders. He added that EVAMAN had expanded its membership base by bringing together manufacturers, assemblers, charging infrastructure providers, renewable energy experts, researchers and investors within the electric mobility ecosystem.

“Nigeria has enormous potential to become a major player in Africa’s electric mobility revolution. With our large market, skilled manpower and growing technological capacity, we can position ourselves as a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing and clean transportation solutions in Africa,” Mr Audu said.

The director-general of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, Zahrah Audu, said the Federal Government remained committed to building a modern and innovation-driven economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She said electric mobility presented opportunities for industrial growth, environmental sustainability, renewable energy integration and youth empowerment.

According to her, PEBEC would continue to support reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and creating an enabling environment for investment in transformative industries.

“The electric vehicle ecosystem has the potential to stimulate growth across several sectors, including manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics, infrastructure technology and skills development,” she said.

The operations and strategy consultant at Leke Services, Gift Agboro, identified access to finance, inadequate charging infrastructure, lack of standards and poor industry data as some of the major challenges affecting Nigeria’s EV ecosystem.

Ms Agboro stressed the need for lower lending rates, improved coordination and stronger collaboration among stakeholders to drive the growth of the industry. She added that a unified industry voice through EVAMAN would help address policy gaps, improve transparency and support the development of sustainable infrastructure for the sector.

Meanwhile, the president of Oando Clean Energy, Ademola Ogunbanjo, said the company was supporting clean mobility through investments in electric buses and sustainable power solutions. He said the company had deployed electric buses as part of efforts to promote cleaner transportation and encourage public confidence in electric mobility.

Mr Ogunbanjo added that renewable energy sources such as solar power remained critical to achieving sustainable transportation systems in the country.

The meeting produced a new leadership for EVAMAN, with Mustapha Audu elected as president. Other executives elected are Al Amin Ibrahim as vice-president, Chinedu Ochinanwata as secretary general, Ademola Ogunbanjo as assistant secretary general, Adeyemi Kalejaiye as treasurer, Maxx EV as assistant treasurer, Celyena Okiyi as legal adviser, Ikenna Ayu as head of public affairs, Chinedu Ekeh as head of research and innovation, and Edward Ihejirika as head of government liaison and policy.

(NAN)