Gbenga Faleye, an Electric Vehicle expert and entrepreneur has emphasised that electric vehicles (EVs) could significantly accelerate the federal government’s goal to achieve a USD1 trillion economy within a decade.
Faleye made this and other assertions at the conference on the sidelines of the ongoing West Africa Automotive Show (WAAS) taking place in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
The medical doctor-turned-EV expert pitched for the early adoption of EVs to move the country into the big-league economies.
His pitch and advocacy for EVs come on the heels of a directive by the Federal Government to agencies to prioritise purchase of CNG vehicles going forward.
Faleye, the CEO of SAGLEV Electric Vehicles highlighted workable measures to improve infrastructure and logistics challenges while stressing that EVs have significant cost savings and enormous job creation and capacity building potential.
He enumerated details of the overarching benefits of EVs over internal combustion engines from reduced acquisition and maintenance costs to reduced pollution and better environmental friendliness.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Automotive Development and Design Agency (NADDC) Joseph Osanipin stated that the government was taking steps to ensure that Nigeria weans itself off fossil fuels and that the presidential directive on CNG was one of the steps in the direction.
He added that his presence at the event was a testament to the support of the government to the automotive industry and that the Minister of Trade and Industry was committed to the sector.
The President of Amalgamated Spare Parts and Motor Dealers Association (ASPMDA) Ngozi Emechebe on his part gave assurances to attendees to the effect that ASPMDA has an excellent working relationship with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to ensure that only genuine motor parts are sold by traders and markets within its network leaving no room for counterfeiters. He encouraged Nigerians to buy Nigeria and believe in Nigeria.
Source – https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/05/electric-vehicles-crucial-for-nigerias-economic-leap-expert/
