Nigeria Partners With South Korea to Launch Africa’s First Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Plant

Nigeria has taken a major step towards transforming Africa’s automotive landscape by signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s Asia Economic Development Committee (AEDC) to establish the continent’s first large-scale electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant.

The agreement, signed on 30 January 2026, signals a strategic move away from Nigeria’s long-standing reliance on imported internal combustion engine vehicles, positioning the country as a potential hub for green automotive technology in Africa. If realised, the project could redefine vehicle production, energy use, and adoption across the region.

Rather than launching a single factory, the initiative is designed as a phased industrialisation programme to balance speed, sustainability, and technology transfer.

The first phase will focus on assembling electric vehicles from imported components, enabling Nigeria to quickly enter the EV market while building local operational capacity. The second phase aims for full-scale manufacturing, with increasing domestic production of vehicle components and batteries.

Once fully operational, the facility is expected to produce up to 300,000 electric vehicles annually. Beyond output, the project could create around 10,000 direct and indirect jobs across assembly, logistics, engineering, and the wider automotive value chain.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, Senator John Owan-Enoh, described the partnership as a clear signal of the government’s commitment to implementing the country’s recently approved National Industrial Policy.

“The initiative goes beyond vehicle production. It represents a deliberate attempt to reposition Nigeria from a passive consumer of global automotive innovation to an active producer within the fast-growing EV ecosystem,” the minister said.

The agreement also includes plans to develop nationwide EV charging infrastructure, addressing one of the key obstacles to EV adoption in Africa: limited charging options and range anxiety.

The EV manufacturing plan aligns with Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, which targets net-zero emissions by 2060, and the National Automotive Industry Development Plan, which seeks to cut the country’s reliance on imported vehicles by encouraging local production.

Nigeria currently imports over 700,000 used vehicles each year, resulting in substantial capital outflows. Local EV production offers a route to reverse this trend while fostering a domestic ecosystem of engineers, technicians, and clean-energy innovators.

Despite optimism, execution will be key. Reliable power supply is essential for both manufacturing operations and EV charging networks, and developing a robust local supply chain will determine whether Nigeria can progress from basic assembly to true manufacturing depth.

South Korea’s advanced automotive expertise provides Nigeria with a strong technical and investment foundation to address these challenges.

As global mobility increasingly shifts towards sustainability, Nigeria’s ambition to host Africa’s first full-scale EV factory could set a continental benchmark. With a large domestic market and a growing middle class, locally manufactured electric vehicles could soon move from concept to a common sight on Nigerian roads and beyond.