Nigeria’s push to develop a homegrown electric vehicle industry has received a major boost as Electric Motor Vehicle Company (EMVC) and the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, signed a landmark partnership aimed at accelerating indigenous electric vehicle production, battery technology research and technical skills development.
The agreement, described as the first collaboration of its kind between a Nigerian indigenous electric vehicle manufacturer and a polytechnic, is expected to bridge the gap between industry and academia while strengthening local capacity across the country’s automotive value chain.
Under the partnership, both institutions will jointly develop market-ready electric vehicles tailored to Nigerian and African road conditions, collaborate on battery technology research, including battery cell assembly and battery management systems, and promote the local sourcing of components.
The initiative will also provide structured training for students of the Federal Polytechnic Offa in electric vehicle design, assembly, battery systems and after-sales maintenance, while enabling both organisations to share laboratories, workshops, technical resources and research facilities.
Beyond the immediate collaboration, EMVC and the polytechnic outlined ambitious plans to establish a Centre of Excellence in Electric Mobility on the campus, develop specialised curricula and certification programmes in electric vehicle engineering, battery technology and renewable energy systems, and create internship and apprenticeship opportunities for students.
Other proposed areas of collaboration include faculty exchange programmes, joint research publications, patent development, entrepreneurship support for student innovators, deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on campus, local fabrication of vehicle components, joint applications for research grants and community awareness campaigns to promote electric mobility across Kwara State and the North Central region.
Speaking on the significance of the partnership, EMVC Chief Executive Officer, Prince Mustapha Mona Audu, said the future of Nigeria’s electric vehicle industry depends not only on manufacturing capacity but also on developing the human capital needed to sustain it.
“This collaboration reflects EMVC’s belief that building a genuine electric vehicle industry in Nigeria requires more than manufacturing capacity; it requires a deliberate investment in people and knowledge. Partnering with Federal Polytechnic Offa allows us to develop vehicles and battery technology suited to our environment while training the next generation of Nigerian engineers and technicians who will sustain this industry long into the future,” he said.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Dr. Kadiri Kamoru Oluwatoyin, described the partnership as a strategic step towards aligning technical education with the practical demands of Nigeria’s emerging clean energy and mobility sector, noting that it would expose students to real-world engineering, manufacturing and innovation.
Industry observers say the collaboration comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to diversify its economy, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and build domestic manufacturing capacity in line with the global transition to cleaner transportation.
EMVC, a Nigerian-owned company, is currently focused on the design, assembly and manufacturing of electric vehicles suited to African conditions. Its operations cover two- and three-wheel electric vehicles, battery assembly and charging infrastructure, with plans to expand into four-wheel vehicle assembly as part of its broader vision of positioning Nigeria and Africa as producers, rather than merely consumers, of clean mobility technologies.
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