The Federal Government has taken a major step toward advancing Nigeria’s electric mobility ambitions with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s Asia Economic Development Committee (AEDC) to establish Africa’s first electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant and roll out critical charging infrastructure across the country.
The agreement was signed on January 30, 2026, with the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, signing on behalf of the Federal Government, while the AEDC Chairman, Mr. Yoon Suk-hun, represented the South Korean organisation. The development was confirmed in a statement by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
NADDC said the partnership aligns with Nigeria’s National Energy Transition Plan (ETP) and the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP). According to the council, the project will be implemented in phases, starting with electric vehicle assembly before expanding into full-scale local manufacturing. When fully operational, the plant is expected to have a production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles annually and generate approximately 10,000 jobs.
Reaffirming the significance of the initiative, NADDC Director-General, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said the project would accelerate technology transfer, attract investment, and strengthen human capital development, research, design and innovation in the automotive sector. He added that Nigeria is gradually 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, despite concerns over electricity supply and road infrastructure. The Federal Government first signalled its intention to develop locally made EVs in April 2021, when the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, set up a 22-member project team to work on electric vehicle development.
In August 2022, the government, through the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), also signed MoUs with Israeli and Japanese firms to begin EV assembly and manufacturing in the country. Under Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, launched in 2022, the country aims to achieve a full transition to electric vehicles by 2060, while Lagos State has set a more ambitious target of 2050.
Nigeria already hosts several EV assembly initiatives, including SAGLEV, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), Jet Motor Company, Spiro, NEV Motors and the Electric Motor Vehicle Company (EMVC). In May 2025, China also announced plans to establish EV factories and other manufacturing ventures in Nigeria as part of efforts to deepen bilateral economic ties.
Analysts say the planned EV manufacturing plants could play a critical role in unlocking Nigeria’s vast mineral resources, promoting local value addition and positioning the country as a regional hub for electric mobility in Africa.
Source: Nairametrics