The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has introduced an Electric Vehicle Bus Competition to encourage Nigerian universities to develop locally designed vehicles.
The initiative, launched at the UNILAG Design Studio in Lagos, aims to promote innovation and indigenous material use in the country’s automotive industry.
The competition’s first phase includes 12 universities from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, each tasked with designing and producing an eight-seater Campus Shuttle Bus.
Participating institutions include Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto; Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun; University of Port Harcourt; University of Benin; University of Ilorin; and University of Abuja.
The competition will be judged by experts from vehicle manufacturing and assembly companies nationwide. Speaking at the launch, NADDC Director-General, Joseph Osanipin, emphasized the council’s commitment to fostering research, creativity, and the development of electric vehicles tailored to Nigeria’s needs. He highlighted the importance of supporting local innovation, noting that Nigerians excel internationally when given the right resources.
Osanipin explained that after the design phase, the council would collaborate with private sector partners, assemblers, and manufacturers to build the vehicles. He challenged universities to match the technological advancements seen in countries like China and the United States.
Future phases of the initiative will extend to polytechnics and technical colleges, incorporating a wide range of professionals, including technologists, technicians, craftsmen, and fabricators, in the vehicle production process. NADDC’s Director of Vehicle Electrification, Abdullahi Ayinde, added that the competition would also teach students project management skills, global standards, and cost-effective sourcing of local components, equipping them with essential knowledge for real-world automotive manufacturing.
