Nigeria has taken a major step toward clean, technology-driven industrialization with the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish Africa’s first large-scale electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant and nationwide charging infrastructure.
The Federal Government, through the Office of the Minister of State for Industry at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), signed the MoU in Abuja with South Korea’s Asia Economic Development Committee (AEDC), signaling Nigeria’s ambition to emerge as a continental hub for electric mobility.
The agreement aligns squarely with the Federal Government’s National Energy Transition Plan (ETP) and the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP), both designed to accelerate EV adoption, expand industrial capacity, and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Under the project roadmap, Phases I and II will focus on the construction of a complete EV assembly plant, followed by the development of facilities capable of full in-house vehicle production. When fully operational, the plant is expected to produce up to 300,000 electric vehicles annually and create approximately 10,000 direct jobs.
Beyond employment, the initiative is projected to deliver significant economic benefits. Officials say expanded EV adoption could help Nigeria cut its estimated annual spending of about $10 billion on refined fuel imports, while stimulating growth across related industries such as auto parts manufacturing, charging infrastructure, battery technology, and vehicle maintenance.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, AEDC Chairman, Mr. Yoon Suk Hun, reaffirmed his organisation’s long-term commitment to Nigeria’s industrial transformation.
“We will devote all of our capabilities to ensuring that Nigeria’s EV industry is built in the most economically viable manner and operated with maximum efficiency, while achieving global competitiveness,” he said. Drawing from South Korea’s development experience, he added that AEDC aims to elevate Nigeria’s automotive industry to world-class standards within 20 to 30 years.
The Minister of State for Industry, FMITI, Senator John Owan Enoh, described the MoU as a defining milestone in Nigeria’s industrial journey. He pledged full government support for the project, assuring stakeholders of close coordination, policy backing, and resource mobilization to ensure the rapid completion of what he described as “Africa’s first advanced, world-class EV manufacturing plant.”
Senator Enoh emphasized that the project aligns strongly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Nigeria First Policy, which prioritizes local production, value addition, and industrial growth. According to him, the agreement reflects the Federal Government’s determination to build a diversified economy driven by domestic manufacturing rather than imports.
Also speaking on the initiative, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, represented by the Head of Policy, Planning and Statistics, Mr. Nura Sidi, disclosed that the collaboration will prioritize technology transfer, investment promotion, human capital development, and research and design.
Mr. Sidi noted that the NADDC had earlier introduced Nigeria’s EV development policy, which has already led to the adoption of electric vehicles, some assembled locally and others imported, laying the groundwork for the current partnership.
With plans to develop a full EV ecosystem encompassing component manufacturing, battery production, charging infrastructure, and advanced technologies, the green energy initiative is expected to reposition Nigeria as a high-value manufacturing base powered by sustainable energy.
As the project moves from agreement to implementation, industry watchers say the initiative could redefine Nigeria’s automotive landscape and cement its place as Africa’s frontrunner in the future of mobility.
