TECHDIGEST – The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) is calling on investors to collaborate with the Agency in local production and domestication of Lithium batteries among other renewable energy solutions.

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI Dr, Bashir Gwandu speaking today in Abuja said the Agency was ready to partner with international companies that are willing to set up their industries in Nigeria and start local production of renewable energy solutions, electric vehicles parts and other capital goods that could create jobs and reduce Nigeria dependence on foreign goods that exert pressure on our foreign exchange for the country.

Dr Gwandu who disclosed this while receiving a business delegation from LEMI Technology Shenzhen, China at NASENI headquarters said that “NASENI is already doing a lot in the area of Solar Panel Production”.

He says very soon NASENI will attract solar cell manufacturing to improve synergy with its existing work on solar panel assembly. He said the Agency has held meetings with other companies from around the world with a view to seeking partnership on local production of lithium-based end-products in Nigeria as against the normal practice of foreign companies exporting the raw materials outside the country for processing.

According to him, taking some of the visions of NASENI forward, which is domestication of technologies, capital goods production and commercialization in Nigeria, NASENI would help bridge the technological gaps between Nigeria and other countries, help stop importation of these technologies and encourage local production.

He also said NASENI will be working with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to encourage development and production of electric vehicles and even conversion of existing vehicles to electric-vehicles as against producing from scratch. In that same regard, NASENI is also in discussion with various stakeholders on promotion of the installation of electric vehicle charging stations on major roads across the country.

READ ALSO: NDS: FG Inaugurates Technical Working Committee to Drive Implementation 

“So, we are inviting friends of Nigeria to come here and establish here. We are encouraging those who can come and produce locally. We will give them support and ensure that the investment environment is encouraging,” he said.

The NASENI EVC hoped that this call is an opportunity to partners who want to produce in Nigeria to do so. The Federal Government, he disclosed, “would welcome any company who gets to us first”, adding that on the production of Lithium batteries, the Agency was ready to go into partnership with companies that are willing to establish their factories in Nigeria.

Dr. Gwandu suggested that NASENI and LEMI Technology should work out the areas of possible collaborations in the production of the lithium battery and ensure that all the safety and environment regulations are followed.

While emphasizing NASENI’s priority area to be the production of lithium battery and inverters, Dr Gwandu expressed delight in working out a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LEMI Technology with a view to ensuring safest means of producing the lithium-based batteries, taking into cognizance Nigeria environmental peculiarities.

The founder of LEMI Technology, Ms. Joyce Chen in her speech said the company is ready to partner with NASENI and invest in the country, promising that they look forward to a rewarding relationship with NASENI and the Nigerian government. Other members of the delegation include the Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Rocky Hu; Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Biju Yao; Oversea Business Director, Ms. Monica Liang and Engineer Mr. Lucia Peng.

Giving details of the visit, the Chief Executive Officer of LEMI Technology Mr. Xie Feng expressed his company’s willingness to partner with NASENI through MoU on renewable energy with particular reference to products like solar and television panels, inverters and battery production.

He said Nigeria and China have a brotherhood that spans many years, adding that Nigeria with its teeming population, it is critical for investment opportunities. Mr. Feng added that LEMI Technology has been operating in the Nigerian market since 2018 and had provided job opportunities to Nigerians and have sold renewable energy products to over 200,000 Nigerian households.

NASENI is the Nigerian only purpose-built Agency with specific mandate in the area of capital goods research, production, and reverse engineering in the following broad areas: Engineering Materials, Industrial and Analytical Chemical Materials, Scientific Equipment and components, Engineering Equipment, Engineering Designs and Standardization, and Power Equipment.

On resumption of duty, one of the projects embarked upon by the EVC of NASENI amongst many others was to summon some of the key exporters of Lithium from within Nigeria and advised them to start thinking of inviting their offtakers in different parts of the world who manufacture lithium batteries to start planning to come and invest in the end-product production in Nigeria.

He encouraged them to take advantage of the discussion and harness the first mover-advantage because those who come to invest will be assisted by NASENI through promotion of government policy to limit export of all types of lithium except what Nigeria cannot process to an end-product.

He emphasized that Nigeria cannot continue to export raw lithium if other countries such as Zimbabwe have gone to the extent of lithium processing. He stated that Nigeria should be at the fore-front of battery production since it has all the relevant raw materials including Phosphate.

He stated that in any area where NASENI can attract manufacturers be it in renewables or other areas such as aerospace industries, any company that can come to Nigeria and process the raw elements into end-product will be supported by NASENI. Companies invited for earlier discussion on the Lithium included suppliers to CATL and LEMI of China.

Today the EVC received the first delegation from LEMI of China to start conversation on the local production of various types of lithium batteries and other products in the photovoltaics value chain.

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TECHDIGEST – The Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber security, Mr. Yakubu Oseni, has expressed a firm belief that the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition’, GITEX 2022, presently taking place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, will finally put Nigeria on the global map of Information Communication Technology, ICT, and software development, in particular.

Oseni, the incumbent Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, NASS spoke on the sideline of a tech exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, venue of this year’s GITEX.

The senator made the remarks when he inspected the stands of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) at GITEX.

READ ALSO: GITEX 2022: Pantami Opens Exhibition Pavilion as 4 Nigerian Start-Ups Battle for Honours

According to the federal lawmaker, young Nigerian tech innovators are doing great things in terms of launching cutting-edge start-up projects.

“As such, we need to encourage them, and help create awareness for more youth participation in ICT. With that, we won’t be taking the back seat at global ICT exhibitions,” he said.

Sen. Oseni, while explaining the reason behind the passage of the Start-Up Bill by their Ninth Senate, assured that President Muhammadu Buhari will soon sign it into law.

He said: “The Bill is virtually for the youths. It is geared towards encouraging Nigerian youths to embrace ICT and participate in ICT ventures.

“The Bill will also address the problem of funding for start-ups in the country. There is going to be a special fund that will be launched for them”.

Oseni, lauded the participation of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, and Galaxy Backbone, among other agencies supervised by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, at GITEX 2022.

“Their participation at the event will attract investors for the country. And also, it will increase our Foreign Direct Investment, while growing the nation’s economy,” he said.

By PRNigeria

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TECHDIGEST – Nigeria’s revived automobile industry has a new innovative mini car designed to be affordable and resilient enough to withstand infrastructural challenges particularly rough roads.

The locally developed Bajaj Qute cars resulted from the collaboration between the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and Vasco Technology Solutions Limited (also known as Africar).

The Bajaj Qute cars were officially launched into the market recently in Ibadan. All modeled for ride hailing services, the new vehicles built in Lagos by the Stallion Group, are expected to improve transportation first in Oyo state and then across Nigeria as it increases in production and market-acceptance.

READ ALSO: Senate Passes Nigeria Start-up Bill

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, described the Stallion Group as a “home-grown conglomerate adding value to the nation’s economy for the past 52 years.”

He lauded Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde for creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship to thrive and assured that the federal government will continue to support states to drive the national economy in the area of local manufacturing.

“The environment you have created is enabling the likes of Africar,” the minister added.

The Director General of the NADDC Mr. Jelani Aliyu, MFR, was represented by the Director, Industrial Infrastructure Department, Dr. Nua Omisanya, in delivering a welcome address at the launching of AFRICAR held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on 4th, April, 2022.

Africar is a modern ride hailing service with dedicated vehicles and the Bajaj Qute cars will further strengthen its growth.

According to the CEO of Africar, Mr. Sahil Vaswani, all of the cars being used for the project are assembled in Lagos at the Stallion Group’s manufacturing plant.

“This car is assembled in Nigeria by Nigerians and is environmentally friendly, with 50% lower carbon emissions than the average car” said Vaswani.

Also speaking during the unveiling of the vehicles, Director General of the NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, said the mini-buses are benchmarked on international standards and are part of government’s overall vision to make Nigeria a hub for automotive manufacturing technology in Africa.

“NADDC continues its unwavering dedication to the support of local automotive production, and also continues to promote some of the latest technologies being developed,” said Aliyu. He was at the Ibadan launch by represented by the Director, Industrial Infrastructure Department, Dr. Nua Omisanya.

According to Aliyu, the NADDC has worked tirelessly to ensure growth and sustainability of the Nigerian automotive industry so as to enhance the sector’s contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP).

Source: ITedgenews 

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TECHDIGEST – More than N500 billion private sector investment has gone into Nigeria’s automotive industry in the last few years to underscore its rebound and the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari, said Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu.

According to him, a lot of the investment has gone into revamping the once moribund local auto industry and encouraging growth of new areas like electric vehicles (EVs).

“We have encouraged, supported, and enabled the private sector to come and put in over half a trillion naira to set up factories and assembly plants across the country,” said Aliyu to the media in Sokoto, at the weekend.

Adding: “We have companies and assembly plants in Lagos, Nnewi, Kaduna and Kano. Some are beginning to come up in Bauchi, Kano and Ogun states. So, there are a number of companies actually producing and assembling vehicles in Nigeria.”

He said these companies have a combined capacity of producing up to 400,000 vehicles per year but “we are not there yet, we are not producing 400,000 vehicles per year, because of market challenges.”

The NADDC boss said the agency was working to drive further investment and get more stakeholders participation in the sector.

His words: “We are, however, doing a lot to unlock that potential and put a stop to the importation of new and used vehicles. As we speak, you can see that there are individuals and companies that believe in the current and future economy of Nigeria in a such a manner that they can invest this huge amount of money,” he explained.

The NADDC is currently working to implement an automotive policy to further woo investors into the country. The agency has already engaged KPMG to review the automotive policy to sync with the best global practice in the auto industry.

“We need a set of regulations to ensure that government gives maximum support to those who invest in this sector, because, when these companies come in, they put in hundreds of millions of dollars.

“They want to be sure that regardless of what the government is doing, their investments must be protected,” Aliyu said while expressing optimism that the policy and ongoing discussions by the NADDC with the likes of Toyota, Volkswagen and Nissan will encourage the companies to directly set up their own production plants in the country.

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TECH DIGEST – Nigeria is gradually moving towards a vehicular industry driven by non-fossil fuel. Almost five months after unveiling the country’s first electric vehicles by Hyundai, the federal government on Tuesday commissioned the first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

An electric vehicle charging station connects an electric vehicle (EV) to a source of electricity to recharge electric cars. They are becoming a common landscape feature worldwide with the increasing shift from fossil-energy cars. There are now 26,000 electric vehicle charging stations open to the public in the U.S., with more than 84,000 plugs as at July 2020.

An initiative of the National Automotive Design and Development Agency (NADDC), under the Elective Vehicle Pilot Project, the commissioning was attended by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo inside the university’s Faculty of Engineering, NADDC Board Chairman, Senator Osita Izunaso; and NADDC Director General, Jelani Aliyu.

Others were UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatowin Ogundipe; and Chief Executive Officer of Stallion Group, Anant Badjatya, with many other dignitaries.

The minister described the program as another initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to promote advanced technology transfer and the development of sophisticated human capital in the country.

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TECH DIGEST – The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Mallam Kasifu Inuwa Abdullahi, says with the introduction of electric vehicles in the country, the nation is definitely advancing towards a vibrant economy.

Abdullahi made this remarks in Abuja, during the unveiling ceremony of the first Nigerian assembled Hyundai KONA Electric Vehicle, launched by National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC).

He averred that digital ecosystem is a sure way in creating value, wealth and prosperity, especially now that Nigeria is on its course to become one of the leading digital economies in the world.

For him, creating ecosystem is the only way to easily get value that will enable growth, wealth and prosperity.

He attributed the economic success of South Korea, which was not as developed as Nigeria 20 years ago, but today they have advanced in innovative technology to digital ecosystem.

The NITDA boss further agreed with the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who spoke earlier at the event, that innovation is a rebirth of the reassembling of cars in Nigeria, adding that Nigeria should advance in the participation of building parts and not only in the assemblage of the automobile.

He stated that NITDA is working with start-ups, and young Nigerian entrepreneurs to develop ground breaking ideas on automobile, using Internet of Things (IOT), renewable energy and others.

“This is an opportunity to work together to challenge our start-ups” he added, as he declared his passionate excitement about the launching of the electric automobile.

He explained further that the NITDA is driven towards innovation and technology advancement, affirming that the Agency is committed to implementing the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy for a digital Nigeria.

“Our mandate is to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and regulation of Information Technology practices in Nigeria”, he said.

He reiterated that the recent ground breaking of National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (NDIEC) established by NITDA is in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) of the Federal Government and its commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years as promised by Mr President.

“The NDIE Centre is intended to provide facilities that would encourage inquisitive perspectives and create opportunities for entrepreneurs to transform their skills to productivity. In addition, the Centre will provide the opportunity for start-ups to accelerate their innovations through design thinking sessions and co-innovation workshops,” he added.

Abdullahi also ascertain that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, under the auspicious leadership of Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, is taking enormous strides in promoting the President Muhammadu Buhari’s digital agenda by ensuring that Information Technology becomes a relevant tool in the nation’s development.

He applauded the Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, and their partners, Stallion Group, for their innovation and contribution to the technological advancement of Nigeria.

He however, assured the NADDC and the Stallion Group that Nigerians have been very eager to use the Hyundai’s KONA, the first all-electric vehicle, since its first launch in Lagos on the 13th of November 2020.

Mallam Abdullahi, in company of other dignitaries, took a ride in the newly unveiled vehicle to the applause and admiration of everyone present.

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TECH DIGEST – The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Mallam Kasifu Inuwa Abdullahi, reiterated that ecosystem is a sure way in creating value, wealth and prosperity, especially now that Nigeria is on its course to become one of the leading digital economies in the world.
Abdullahi made this remarks today, in Abuja, during the unveiling ceremony of the first Nigerian assembled Hyundai KONA Electric Vehicle, launched by National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC).

He averred that creating ecosystem is the only way to easily get value that will enable growth, wealth and prosperity.

Abdullahi affirmed that with the introduction of electric vehicles in the country, the nation is definitely advancing towards a vibrant economy. He attributed the economic success of South Korea, which was not as developed as Nigeria 20 years ago, but today they have advanced in innovative technology.

The NITDA boss further agreed with the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who spoke earlier at the event, that innovation is a rebirth of the reassembling of cars in Nigeria, adding that Nigeria should advance in the participation of building parts and not only in the assemblage of the automobile.

He stated that NITDA is working with start-ups, and young Nigerian entrepreneurs to develop ground breaking ideas on automobile, using Internet of Things (IOT), renewable energy and others.

“This is an opportunity to work together to challenge our start-ups” he added, as he declared his passionate excitement about the launching of the electric automobile.

He explained further that the NITDA is driven towards innovation and technology advancement, affirming that the Agency is committed to implementing the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy for a digital Nigeria.

“Our mandate is to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and regulation of Information Technology practices in Nigeria”, he said.

He reiterated that the recent ground breaking of National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (NDIEC) established by NITDA is in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) of the Federal Government and its commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years as promised by Mr President.

“The NDIE Centre is intended to provide facilities that would encourage inquisitive perspectives and create opportunities for entrepreneurs to transform their skills to productivity. In addition, the Centre will provide the opportunity for start-ups to accelerate their innovations through design thinking sessions and co-innovation workshops,” he added.

Abdullahi also ascertain that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, under the auspicious leadership of Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, is taking enormous strides in promoting the President Muhammadu Buhari’s digital agenda by ensuring that Information Technology becomes a relevant tool in the nation’s development.

He applauded the Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, and their partners, Stallion Group, for their innovation and contribution to the technological advancement of Nigeria.

He however, assured the NADDC and the Stallion Group that Nigerians have been very eager to use the Hyundai’s KONA, the first all-electric vehicle, since its first launch in Lagos on the 13th of November 2020.

Mallam Abdullahi, in company of other dignitaries, took a ride in the newly unveiled vehicle to the applause and admiration of everyone present.

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