The Federal Government said it is targeting the adoption of zero emissions in the transportation sector through the National Automotive Design and Development Council 8-Seater Electric Campus Shuttle Competition.
UNIBEN emerged as the winner of the competition that featured 12 universities across the six geopolitical zones.
The initiative aims to promote the design and eventual manufacturing of electric vehicles.
The announcement was made on Friday during the final stage of phase one of the competition, held at the Innovation Hub of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the NADDC, Oluwemimo Osanipin, noted that the competition was geared towards promoting zero-emission transportation and supporting Nigeria’s transition to a green-energy automobile industry.
According to him, the agency recognised the critical role of young talents in the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which informed the decision to begin the initiative with Nigerian students.
Highlighting the structure of the programme, Osanipin stated that the first phase focused on designing prototypes, while the second phase would involve actual manufacturing, adding that the winning university would be funded to produce its design.
He continued, “The major goal is to ensure we have a country that is emission-free. A lot of our people are now realising, through this initiative, that they can design quality vehicles. But we don’t want them to stop at the design stage. We must challenge ourselves to move into production.
“What we are saying now is design. After design, let’s move to the next phase, which is production. But before you begin production, you must identify the components that will be used, and that is where the real work lies. We have mandated a minimum of 60 per cent local content.”
The DG added that the initiative would focus on partnerships with academia, private sector investors, and the government to ensure that more electric vehicles are developed locally.
Speaking on behalf of the UNIBEN team, Emmanuel Ikegwuonu, a mechanical engineering student, expressed the team’s excitement at winning, noting that the competition came with several challenges.
He said the initiative equipped the team with the essential knowledge needed to create technological breakthroughs.
“I believe meeting zero emissions targets can be accelerated when we develop technological solutions to Nigeria’s problems. During this competition, we acquired the skills necessary to do just that,” Ikegwuonu said.
He continued, “It was a challenging experience, but if there’s one thing we’ve learnt, it’s that growth comes through challenges. Since this is a Federal Government initiative, we believe it will help us grow.”
In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, represented by Adedamola Odusanya, said the initiative, born from collaboration between the government, academia, and the private sector, is a crucial step towards achieving the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan.
He stated, “The NIRP, through the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan, deliberately prioritises innovation, skills development, and local content. Sustainable industrialisation and economic growth depend on cultivating homegrown solutions and building technological capacity.
“The future of Nigerian industry will be clean, vibrant, and unmistakably Nigerian, propelled by three key pillars endorsed by the NIRP: innovation, local content, and clean mobility.
“Today’s collaboration between government, academia, and industry is a vivid testament to what is possible when national policy, through instruments like the NAIDP, meets the energy and ingenuity of our youth.”
Speaking on the criteria used to select the winner, the Head of Jury, Professor Ibrahim Rufai, disclosed that UNIBEN distinguished itself based on the parameters set for the competition.
He noted that the institution excelled in innovation, stating, “They applied biomimicry by using the boxfish design concept. To innovate, we must learn from nature and exploit its properties or behaviours to solve real-life problems.”
In her remarks, UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, represented by Professor Wale Okunnuga, lauded the FG for the initiative, adding that “we are confident that this partnership will continue to advance e-mobility technology in Nigeria and, by extension, the world.
“It will also keep engaging the brilliant minds of our youth in a way that equips them to tackle the challenges of the modern era.”
The highlight of the event included the award of prize monies, with UNIBEN winning N5m, the first runner-up, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, N4m, and the second runner-up, University of Abuja, bagging N3m.
