NADDC parleys stakeholders on vehicle electrification

The federal government in partnership stakeholders in the nation’s automotive sector is forging partnership to foster the development of electric vehicles in Nigeria.

Daily Trust reports that since the cost of petroleum has ballooned to over N600 per litre, attention is being shifted to alternative means of powering the automobiles.

The available options to vehicle owners include gas-powered vehicles and electric vehicles capable of stopping carbon emission that comes with the fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and major automotive industry key players however met this week in Abuja to chart an action plan for electric vehicles’ development in Nigeria.

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The Director General, NADDC, Mr. Jelani Aliyu, who hosted the validation workshop of the ‘Draft National Action Plan for the Development of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Nigeria’, charged participants and the general public to embrace advanced technology, because it can be leveraged to uplift the lives of hundreds of millions of Nigerians.

He stressed the commitment of NADDC towards vehicle electrification in Nigeria, which has resulted in the local assembly of the Hyundai Kona EV and Jet Motors Electric Buses and Vans.

The Action Plan is anchored around the strategic development of the Vehicle Electrification ecosystem in Nigeria: to provide the necessary fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, programs and initiatives aimed at expediting the mass production of Electric Vehicles and development of an effective nationwide charging infrastructure.

To also enable the ubiquitous attainability and sustainable ownership of the very many different types of these zero emission forms of transportation by both public and individual end users.

Jelani added that the Council has demonstrated its dedication to developing applicable advanced solutions with the development of the 100% Solar Powered EV Charging Stations at three universities including Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUS), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), as well as the NADDC Headquarters, Abuja.

Representing the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Director, Industry Development Department, Mr. Adewale Rasheed, explained that the workshop would guarantee inclusiveness and synergy among stakeholders in the development of the Action Plan.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) promised to build EV charging stations at some of his retail outlets as its contribution to vehicle electrification.