The Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Osanipin had said that the officially launched 8-Seater Electric Campus Shuttle Bus competition will drive innovation in Nigerian universities.
Mr. Osanipin made the statement at the official launching of the 8-seater Electric Campus Shuttle bus Competition at the University of Lagos.
He disclosed that the initiative was aimed to promote innovation, encourage local content development, foster entrepreneurship, drive research collaboration, and advance sustainability in Nigeria’s automotive industry.
According to him, A total of 12 universities are participating in the competition, with two institutions representing each geopolitical zone: Modibbo Adama University of Technology (Yola) and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (Bauchi) for the North-East; Ahmadu Bello University (Zaria) and Usmanu Danfodiyo University (Sokoto) for the North-West; University of Abuja and University of Ilorin for the North-Central; University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Federal University of Technology, Owerri for the South-East; University of Port Harcourt and University of Benin for the South-South; and University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University (Ile-Ife) for the Southwest.
“Although, plans are in top gear to extend the project to the Polytechnics, Colleges and technical schools as to gather different expertise from different fields like technologist,technicians,craftsmen and fabricators among others.
With this initiative, NADDC hopes to inspire groundbreaking innovations, positioning Nigerian universities as key players in the global automotive industry while fostering sustainability and technological advancement in the country’s transportation sector.”
Osanipin who reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to empowering young innovators and advancing Nigeria’s transition to sustainable mobility, highlighted that beyond the competition, students have a unique opportunity to shape the nation’s technological future.
“This competition is a testament to the boundless potential of our university students to revolutionize industries and shape a smarter, greener future,
The competition will unfold in two phases. The first three months will focus on the design phase, where all 12 universities will participate in conceptualizing and designing their shuttle bus models. The final three months will feature the vehicle development phase, with only one university proceeding to build a working prototype of the electric shuttle bus. The initiative is being managed by NADDC’s Department of Vehicle Electrification.” He added.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola lauded the NADDC’s vision for considering the project important to Nigerian universities.
She emphasized the importance of battery technology adaptation and the potential to integrate alternative energy sources into electric vehicle designs.
“This initiative is not only about innovation but also about equipping students with the skills to lead Nigeria’s transition to a cleaner, more efficient transportation system,” she concluded.
The key collaborating partners of this project include : KIA, Dangote Sinotruck, Lanre Shittu Motors, Zinox Technologies, Nord, Trekk, Oando Clean Energy, NNPC RTI amongst other.
