By Mirriam Kaliza
Nigeria’s push towards electric mobility is entering a more decisive phase, as growing investor interest shifts the focus from simple adoption to domestic manufacturing. Fresh engagement by Chinese electric vehicle (EV) firms in electric scooter and battery production is reinforcing Nigeria’s position as a potential anchor for clean transport manufacturing in West Africa.
The proposed investment, being facilitated by Hong Kong–based global investment banking firm Treadway, centres on assembling electric scooters and batteries for Nigeria’s rapidly expanding last-mile transport market. With urban congestion worsening and fuel costs remaining volatile, electric two-wheelers are increasingly viewed as a practical alternative for commercial transport operators.
Rather than seeing Nigeria solely as a consumer market, investors are now assessing its suitability for industrial production, skills development and regional exports. Analysts point to Nigeria’s large population, expanding informal transport sector and evolving energy-transition policies as key factors shaping this shift.
Managing Director for Government Affairs at Treadway (Hong Kong), Kirana Chin, said Nigeria’s scale and growth trajectory make it particularly attractive for long-term investment.
“Nigeria has enormous potential, driven by its market size and entrepreneurial population. Working with government stakeholders allows us to translate that potential into sustainable economic outcomes,” she said.
Chin noted that the automotive initiative is part of a broader pipeline of planned investments spanning transportation, mining, agriculture and green energy, with electric mobility serving as an entry point for wider industrial engagement.
Employment creation remains central to the investment strategy. Nigeria, like much of sub-Saharan Africa, faces mounting pressure to absorb a growing youth population into productive work.
Vice President for Africa at Treadway, Fred Muteti, said manufacturing-focused investments offer a pathway to address that challenge.
“The lack of decent and productive employment remains the biggest labour market challenge for the region’s youth,” said Muteti. “By supporting local production, we aim to create stable jobs, reduce reliance on imports and strengthen regional export capacity.”
Muteti added that technology and skills transfer are embedded in Treadway’s approach, allowing host countries to retain long-term value.
“We are promoting a ‘Build and Buy Africa’ mindset so that industrial growth is anchored locally rather than externally,” he added.
Nigeria’s growing visibility in electric mobility is already evident. Electric scooter and vehicle assembly initiatives are gaining traction in cities such as Lagos and Abuja, particularly among commercial riders and logistics firms seeking to cut operating costs and improve efficiency.
While Nigeria is emerging as a focal point in West Africa, similar industrial positioning efforts are under way elsewhere on the continent. In Zimbabwe, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Tongai Mnangagwa, has been among senior officials advocating for tourism-led investment and industrial expansion, reflecting a broader regional effort to link investment attraction with social and economic development.
For Nigeria, the next phase will hinge on supportive regulation, charging infrastructure and access to financing. Observers say that aligning these elements could enable the country to transition from early experimentation to scaled production and regional supply.
According to industry estimates, tens of thousands of electric vehicles including scooters, motorcycles and passenger cars are now operating across Nigeria, a marked increase from just a few years ago.
Although EVs still make up a small fraction of the country’s overall vehicle fleet, adoption has accelerated steadily since 2020, driven largely by commercial transport demand.
Analysts believe that with sustained investment and policy support, electric vehicles could account for a significant share of new vehicle growth by the end of the decade, strengthening Nigeria’s role as an emerging electric mobility hub in West Africa.
#MBCDigital
#Manthu
