Nigeria to commence electric car manufacturing, signs MoU with Japanese, Israeli companies

The Nigerian government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israeli and Japanese companies to commence assembling and manufacturing of electric vehicles in Nigeria.

The agreement was signed by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in partnership with the Israeli, Japanese and Nigerian companies on Thursday, in Abuja, according to NAN.

The companies are Peramare Enterprise of Israel and SIXAI of Japan.

What they are saying

The Isreali Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, said that the partnership would help address the many challenges affecting the transport and environmental sectors in Nigeria.

• He said, It is a project that is a partnership with Israeli, Japanese and Nigerian companies taking place in Nigeria.

• What is special about this project is that it is a timely project that combines Israeli technologies, Japanese technologies, Nigerian entrepreneurship and innovation together to create a project that is going to work fabulously.

• “We are talking about bringing electronic Motorcycles into Nigeria which will be a programme that is green, environmentally friendly.”

He added that it offers people a cheap way and safe way of transportation and even has a technology to ensure that the motorcycles are only used for legal and appropriate purposes, and also solves issues of fuel scarcity, green technology, and the need to provide cleaner, cheaper, easier transport.

• “I believe that a programme that is going to start in Nigeria will be successful and will go across Africa,” Freeman added.

Prof. Mohammed Haruna, Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI, said the project Nigeria would see to the manufacturing of Nigerian-made electrical vehicles in the nearest future as this is the attempt to domesticate certain technologies in Nigeria, especially in the automobile industry has not worked with continuous importation.

• He said, NASENI has come into this now with the perfect partners, Japanese and Israeli companies their technologies are proven and known.

• “But most importantly, Nigeria will not just be consuming this technology, we are here to make sure that we domesticate, produce and manufacture in Nigeria.”

Dr Ayal Raz, Representative of Israeli Company, Peramare Enterprise, added that this innovative idea is going to change so many things in the face of Nigeria.

• It will bring green energy which means cheaper cost of transport and we all know what that means for our people.

• It will give work to the people because it is industry, we are going to put a factory here, we will start with assembling then building. It will give us less pollution and greener air.

• “Nigeria is safe to do business and by the special grace of God it is going to come during the first quarter of 2023, ” Raz said.

Mr Sasi Shilo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SIXAI, and Japanese Partner said that his company beyond production is keen on supporting the African continent, Nigeria build a sustainable nation with clean and safe technologies.

• We really want to contribute to African nation with our technology. What we want to bring is not only to produce but what we want to achieve is to support the African nation to be sustainable.

• “Through our products with safety and environmentally friendly features in our technology,” Sasi said.

Hon. Wadada Aliyu, Chairman, PAN Nigeria Limited, added that it is historic because Nigeria is conforming with the order of the day which is green environment and memorable because NASENI has set the ball rolling.

• “This synergy between Israeli, Japan, NASENI and PAN as a facility where the assembling will be done, I think the sky will be a starting point of technological evolution in Nigeria,” Aliyu said.

What you should know

• Recall Nairametrics reported earlier this year that in a bid to boost Nigerias local car manufacturing scene, Indigenous automobile manufacturer, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Company, as part of its expansion drive, announced plans to establish another manufacturing plant in Owerri, Imo State.

• The company said it will increase its vehicle manufacturing capacity from 10,000 vehicles annually to 60,000 vehicles annually after migrating from manual production plant to a fully automated production plant.