All things being equal, by 2031, 50% of vehicles on Nigerian roads would be electric vehicles produced or assembled in Nigeria, Director General, National Automative Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, has said.
Aliyu disclosed that the council was partnering Jaiz Bank to pioneer a programme where Nigerians can buy brand new vehicles, especially the electric or gas vehicles on loan and pay over a period of five years.
NADDC Director General disclosed these while fielding questions from journalists in Kaduna, saying that, the automobile companies currently producing and assembling in Nigeria, including Dangote, PAN, Honda, Elizade, Innoson and Lanre Shittu, among others, have invested over N500 billion in the industry as at 2019.
He also said that, the combination of the automobile companies in the country, currently have the capacity to produce up to 400,000 vehicles per year and they currently employ over 50,000 Nigerians.
He said as part of the national gas expansion programme, the local automotive companies, aside the conversion of regular petrol and diesel vehicles to natural gas vehicles, are now producing brand new gas-powered vehicles in Nigeria.
Jelani said electric vehicle is really better for the Nigerian environment where the culture of maintenance is low, as the vehicles do not have engines that require fuel, engine oil, plugs, rings and piston, which need regular repairs.
He however said that, as a way of assisting the economy of Nigerians, who have been over the years forced to pay upfront for vehicles, the government has entered an understanding (MoU) with Jaiz Bank and talking with Zenith and WEMA banks to enable the citizens buy vehicles and pay in installments.
“In the US, Germany or France, nobody expects you to buy a vehicle upfront. You have a job, you pick up a vehicle and pay overtime. Sometimes, even before you finish paying up, you see another one you like, you can return, take the new one and continue paying.”
Restating the government’s resolve to ensure 50 per cent or more of vehicles in Nigeria in the next 10 years are electric vehicles, the DG allayed the fear that going electric in automobile will have negative effect on the Nigerian economy, as he said that, Nigeria is blessed with enormous natural resources to replace the oil in the international market.
