China sets up electric vehicle factories in Nigeria.

China is to build electric vehicle factories in Nigeria, a strategic partnership between Beijing and Abuja to respond to three local emergencies: soaring fuel prices,high maintenance costs for thermal vehicles, and climate pressure.

The project, supported by the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, also aims to create local jobs and accelerate the energy transition of Africa’s most populous country. In 2023, Nigeria imported over $20 billion worth of refined petroleum products, a heavy burden on its balance of trade. Electric vehicles could alleviate this dependence.

But the project promises to be complex. Charging infrastructures are virtually non-existent, the electricity grid is fragile, and investment in fossil fuels continues, slowing down the green shift. Experts also point to the need to train a skilled workforce to assemble and maintain future vehicles.

For Beijing, this location is part of its strategy to gain industrial influence in Africa. For Nigeria, it is “a full-scale test of its ability to harness clean technologies”, provided it invests in energy and logistics at the same time.

This project could therefore mark a turning point for Nigerian industry, provided the central dilemma is resolved: adopting the electric vehicle in a country still dependent on oil.

source: Africa Inside