Nigeria Partners South Korea To Establish Africa’s First Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Plant
The Federal Government has taken a major step towards positioning Nigeria as a continental hub for clean mobility 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 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 (formerly Twitter) account of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC).
According to NADDC, the landmark partnership aligns squarely with Nigeria’s National Energy Transition Plan (ETP) and the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP), both of which seek to reduce carbon emissions, deepen local manufacturing and strengthen industrial competitiveness.
The council explained 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, alongside 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.”
Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, Director-General of NADDC, 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.
Rising EV interest amid infrastructure concerns
Interest in electric vehicles has grown steadily in Nigeria over the past few years, driven by rising fuel costs, environmental concerns and global shifts towards cleaner transportation.
However, scepticism remains over the viability of EVs 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 the country towards electric mobility.
In April 2021, the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, inaugurated a 22-member project team to develop a Nigeria-made electric vehicle.
This was followed in August 2022 by an MoU signed by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) with Israeli and Japanese firms to commence the assembly and manufacturing of EVs locally.
Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, launched in 2022, sets an ambitious target of achieving a 100 per cent transition to electric vehicles by 2060 as part of its broader net-zero emissions goal. Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial hub, has pledged to achieve a full EV transition by 2050, reflecting growing subnational commitment to clean transport.
Several EV assembly and manufacturing initiatives have already emerged across the country. These include SAGLEV, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), Jet Motor Company, Spiro, NEV Motors and the Electric Motor Vehicle Company (EMVC), which are at varying stages of production, assembly and pilot deployment.
International interest in Nigeria’s EV sector has also intensified.
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 note that the proposed establishment of large-scale EV factories could help unlock Nigeria’s vast mineral resources, including lithium and other critical minerals essential for battery production, while fostering local value addition and reducing dependence on imported vehicles.
With the latest partnership with South Korea’s AEDC, Nigeria appears set to take a decisive leap towards becoming a major player in Africa’s electric mobility landscape, combining industrial development, job creation and climate action in line with global energy transition trends.
