The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards positioning Nigeria as a continental hub for clean mobility with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korea’s Asia Economic Development Committee to establish Africa’s first Electric Vehicle manufacturing plant and develop nationwide charging infrastructure.
The agreement was signed on January 30, 2025, by the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, on behalf of the Federal Government, while the Chairman of AEDC, Mr Yoon Suk-hun, signed for the South Korean organisation. The development was disclosed in a statement posted on the official X account of the National Automotive Design and Development Council.
According to NADDC, the partnership aligns with Nigeria’s National Energy Transition Plan and the National Automotive Industry Development Plan, which are aimed at reducing carbon emissions, deepening local manufacturing and strengthening industrial competitiveness. The council stated that the project would be implemented in phases, beginning with electric vehicle assembly and gradually expanding into full local manufacturing.
When fully operational, the plant is projected to have an annual capacity of about 300,000 vehicles and create approximately 10,000 direct jobs, in addition to thousands of indirect jobs across the automotive value chain.
“In January 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Minister of State for Industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korea’s Asia Economic Development Committee to establish an Electric Vehicle manufacturing plant and develop critical charging infrastructure nationwide,” the statement said.
“This landmark collaboration aligns strongly with Nigeria’s National Energy Transition Plan and National Automotive Industry Development Plan. The project will be implemented in phases, beginning with EV assembly and expanding into full in-house production.”
The Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, reaffirmed that the initiative would accelerate technology transfer, attract investment, promote human capital development and strengthen research, design and innovation in Nigeria’s automotive sector. Represented at the signing by NADDC’s Head of Policy, Planning and Statistics, Mr Nura Sidi, Osanipin noted that Nigeria was steadily building a sustainable automotive ecosystem that supports local manufacturing, green energy adoption and global competitiveness.
Interest in electric vehicles has grown steadily in Nigeria in recent years, driven by rising fuel costs, environmental concerns and global shifts towards cleaner transportation. However, concerns remain regarding the viability of EV adoption in the Nigerian market, particularly due to electricity supply constraints, limited charging infrastructure and poor road networks in some parts of the country.
Despite these challenges, the Federal Government has consistently signalled its intention to transition towards electric mobility. In April 2021, the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria, inaugurated a 22-member project team to develop a Nigeria-made electric vehicle. In August 2022, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Israeli and Japanese firms to commence local assembly and manufacturing of electric vehicles.
Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, launched in 2022, sets a target of achieving a 100 per cent transition to electric vehicles by 2060 as part of its broader net-zero emissions objective. Lagos State has also pledged to achieve a full electric vehicle transition by 2050, reflecting growing subnational commitment to clean transport initiatives.
Several electric vehicle assembly and manufacturing initiatives are already underway across the country. These include SAGLEV, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Jet Motor Company, Spiro, NEV Motors and the Electric Motor Vehicle Company, which are at various stages of production, assembly and pilot deployment.
International interest in Nigeria’s electric vehicle sector has intensified in recent months. In May 2025, the Chinese government announced plans to establish electric vehicle factories and other manufacturing ventures in Nigeria as part of efforts to deepen economic and industrial cooperation between both countries.
Analysts have noted that the proposed establishment of large-scale electric vehicle factories could help unlock Nigeria’s mineral resources, including lithium and other critical minerals essential for battery production, while encouraging local value addition and reducing dependence on imported vehicles.
With the latest partnership with South Korea’s Asia Economic Development Committee, Nigeria is advancing efforts to become a major player in Africa’s electric mobility landscape, combining industrial development, job creation and climate action in line with global energy transition trends.
