The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), says it is partnering with some Korean companies to produce more Electric Vehicles in Nigeria.
A statement from the council said on Friday in Abuja that Mr Jelani Aliyu, its Director-General, disclosed this at the Nigerian-Korean Business Summit on Wednesday in Seoul, South Korea.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the summit had as its theme: ”Advanced Technology for a New Nigerian Human Experience’.
Aliyu said: “With the advanced capabilities in the Korean automotive industry, what can we do together in Nigeria, how do we work together to scale up the production of Nigeria relevant Electric Vehicles?
“The NADDC has built 18 Automotive Training Centres across Nigeria, where we can partner with potential Korean companies for training in EV Technology.
“A majority of our people still live in rural areas and that through decentralized development their lives can be enhanced right where they are so that there is no need for them to migrate to the cities.
” Actually, I believe there is a need to introduce super advanced internet enabled technology to all our rural areas, drones for logistics and healthcare, 100% renewable energy mini grids, satellite connected educational networks.”
The D-G further said that there was an exciting opportunity for Nigeria and Korea, to work together through highly efficient hardware and software, to enable these super solutions for the Nigerians.
Aliyu reiterated: ”The future is bright, and together our two nations can develop solutions that can be manufactured and deployed in Nigeria to lift millions into abundance, peace and prosperity.
”NADDC has encouraged and supported both local and multinational automotive companies to start producing EVs in Nigeria.
” As a result of that, Hyundai Nigeria has started the assembly of the Hyundai Kona EV, Jet Systems Motors has deployed the Jet Systems Electric Van, and Max-e has developed an electric motorcycle that has been tested and proven in rural Nigeria.”
Aliyu also said that the agency had developed 100 per cent Solar Powered EV Charging Stations as pilots.
”This is to prove that you can power e-mobility completely off grid. We put them up at three universities, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, University of Lagos and University of Nigeria, Nsukka,” the D-G said. (NAN)