Project to roll out in phases, target 300,000 vehicles annually and 10,000 jobs
The federal government has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea to establish an electric vehicle manufacturing plant and roll out charging infrastructure across Nigeria.
The agreement was signed on January 30 by John Enoh, minister of state for industry, and representatives of South Korea’s Asia Economic Development Committee.
The National Automotive Design and Development Council disclosed the development in a post on its X account on Saturday.
According to the council, the partnership aligns with Nigeria’s National Energy Transition Plan as well as the National Automotive Industry Development Plan, reinforcing the country’s push towards cleaner energy and local manufacturing.
The NADDC said the project will be executed in phases, starting with electric vehicle assembly before expanding into full in-house production.
When fully operational, the facility is expected to have an annual production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles and generate approximately 10,000 jobs.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the director-general of the NADDC, Oluwemimo Osanipin, said the initiative would significantly boost technology transfer, attract investment, strengthen human capital development, and deepen research, design, and innovation within Nigeria’s automotive sector.
Osanipin was represented at the event by Nura Sidi, head of policy, planning and statistics at the council.
The NADDC noted that Nigeria is gradually building a sustainable automotive ecosystem designed to support local manufacturing, encourage green energy adoption, and enhance global competitiveness.
The development comes amid growing optimism around electric mobility in the country. Wale Tinubu, group chief executive officer of Oando Plc, has projected that electric vehicles could make up 50 percent of Nigeria’s total vehicle population within the next 20 years.
In a related move, a bill seeking to establish legal and policy frameworks to guide Nigeria’s transition from petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles passed second reading at the Senate on November 5, 2025.
The bill’s sponsor, Orji Uzor Kalu, said the proposed legislation aims to cut carbon emissions, stimulate local manufacturing, and position Nigeria to benefit from the global shift towards clean and sustainable mobility.
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