By LUCY OGALUE

The Federal Government has approved the acquisition of electric buses for civil servants as part of efforts to promote local vehicle assembly and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to cleaner transportation.

The Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin, said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

Osanipin said that the buses would be sourced from local assemblers to strengthen domestic manufacturing and boost growth in Nigeria’s automotive sector.

He said that the government had also procured charging infrastructure that would be installed in parts of the country to support the deployment and adoption of electric vehicles.

According to him, the initiative is aimed at encouraging the transition to cleaner mobility while creating opportunities for local manufacturers.

Osanipin also said that the council was establishing an automotive development park in Nnewi, Anambra, to strengthen Nigeria’s automotive ecosystem.

He said that the facility, known as the Nnewi Automotive Development Park, would provide shared infrastructure for automotive manufacturers and component producers.

“We are developing the Nnewi Automotive Development Park where we will provide the necessary infrastructure so that users of the park can share facilities.

“The arrangement will allow investors and manufacturers to operate without having to individually provide all the required infrastructure before establishing operations, ” he said.

He said that the council was currently seeking additional investment to accelerate development of the park and attract more players into the sector.

Osanipin urged Nigerians to patronise locally assembled vehicles, noting that doing so would help create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

He said NADDC was also providing training to manufacturers and other stakeholders to promote local production of vehicle components such as batteries and tyres.

The director-general said the move would reduce import dependence, create employment opportunities and contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

He said that the council was working with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to facilitate the disbursement of the National Automotive Development Fund to qualified stakeholders.

Osanipin also said NADDC was working toward forwarding a bill to the National Assembly of Nigeria to strengthen the council’s operations in line with global best practices.

He reiterated the council’s commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s automotive industry and called for continued support from investors and stakeholders. (NAN)