Nigeria’s government says long-term cooperation between public institutions and private businesses is critical for the country to build a viable electric vehicle industry. Speaking at the inaugural gathering of the Electric Vehicle Assemblers and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (EVAMAN) in Abuja, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, said the state is focused on ensuring that Nigerian know-how, locally produced inputs, and domestic companies take a leading role in the nation’s industrial direction.
Udeh, who appeared through Mr. Ibiam Oguejiofor, National Coordinator for the Strategy Implementation Task Office tied to Presidential Executive Order No. 5, said the administration is working to place indigenous capabilities at the heart of science, engineering, and technology initiatives. He described the executive order as a key policy tool meant to strengthen local participation and capacity in projects related to those fields.
The minister’s representative added that the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology is coordinating with relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to embed local content requirements across priority areas. Those sectors include clean transportation, renewable power, advanced manufacturing, and digital innovation.
Udeh also pointed to global economic dynamics, saying the shift toward low-emission technologies is altering international trade patterns, industrial competitiveness, and investment flows. He argued that countries able to adjust will be better positioned to expand manufacturing output, raise export performance, and pull in fresh capital.
“Nigeria must therefore position itself not only as a market for imported technology, but as a producer of technology, industrial parts, and clean mobility solutions for Africa and beyond,” Udeh said, emphasizing the need to build production capability rather than depend solely on consumption.
He further stated that the pace and durability of Nigeria’s electric mobility transition will hinge on collaboration among government bodies, business leaders, academic and research institutions, innovators, lenders and financial institutions, development partners, and organized private-sector groups. “By working together, we can develop an electric vehicle industry that competes on a global scale, supports environmental goals, broadens economic participation, and is firmly grounded in Nigerian innovation, Nigerian enterprise, and Nigerian industrial strength,” he said.
EVAMAN President Mustapha Audu said the inauguration represents a turning point for the association, moving it from a caretaker arrangement into an elected leadership structure. He noted that over the previous two years the group obtained formal legal standing by registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and it also built partnerships with government agencies and private-sector stakeholders.
Audu added that EVAMAN has broadened its membership by bringing together a wider range of players across the electric mobility value chain, including vehicle makers and assemblers, operators of charging networks, specialists in renewable energy, researchers, and investors supporting the ecosystem.
“Nigeria has significant potential to emerge as a major force in Africa’s electric mobility transformation,” Audu said. He cited the country’s large consumer base, skilled workforce, and expanding technical capabilities, arguing these strengths could help Nigeria become a manufacturing and clean transportation hub for the region.
Zahrah Audu, Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), said the federal government remains committed to developing a modern economy driven by innovation under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She said electric mobility creates opportunities for industrial expansion, supports environmental sustainability, enables better integration of renewable energy, and can help empower young people.
She also said PEBEC will continue backing reforms intended to improve the ease of doing business and strengthen the conditions needed for investment in industries that can transform the economy. “The electric vehicle ecosystem can drive growth across multiple areas, including manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics, infrastructure technology, and skills development,” Zahrah Audu said.
