The race to position Nigeria for the future of clean mobility gathered momentum on Monday as the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and Bayero University, Kano (BUK) moved to deepen their partnership, with the university seeking a major expansion of its Electric Vehicle (EV) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facilities.
The high-level delegation from BUK, led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development), visited the Council’s headquarters in Abuja to strengthen collaboration around the NADDC-established EV Charging Station and CNG Conversion Centre at the university.
Speaking during the visit, Professor Amina described the intervention as a game-changer for engineering education, saying the facility is already providing a solid platform for cutting-edge research, innovation, practical learning and skills development in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Automotive Engineering Programme.
In a bold move that could transform Bayero University into Northern Nigeria’s foremost electric mobility training hub, the university urged NADDC to upgrade the existing EV Charging Station to support electric cars, tricycles and motorcycles, reflecting the growing adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles across the country.
The university also requested the establishment of a standard automobile maintenance workshop and proposed that the facility be designated as a regional NADDC training centre for engineering institutions across Northern Nigeria.
Professor Amina further advocated stronger collaboration between the university and all NADDC automotive centres to provide engineering students with quality Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) placements and hands-on technical training.
She stressed that the university is committed to producing graduates equipped not only with theoretical knowledge but also with practical skills, innovation and entrepreneurial capacity required to thrive in Nigeria’s emerging electric mobility ecosystem.
Responding, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to the partnership, describing it as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s automotive future.
He commended Bayero University for embracing the Council’s vision and emphasized that stronger collaboration between academia and industry remains critical to advancing automotive technology, research, innovation and human capital development.
The meeting ended with both institutions reaffirming their commitment to accelerating practical engineering education, research, innovation and workforce development, while supporting Nigeria’s transition to cleaner transportation through electric vehicle and CNG technologies.
Why it matters: As Nigeria gradually shifts towards cleaner mobility, universities are emerging as critical innovation hubs. Bayero University’s push for expanded EV infrastructure signals growing competition among tertiary institutions to become centres of excellence for electric mobility research, training and automotive technology development.
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