Lanre Shittu Motors (LSM) has announced plans to assemble and sale electric and compressed natural gas-powered vehicles in Nigeria following the increase in the pump price of fuel after the removal of fuel subsidy.
Deputy Managing Director of the company, Lukman Shittu, said this during a chat with newsmen in Lagos.
He said the new EVs and CNG-powered automobiles would be unveiled before the end of the year just as the company is concluding arrangements to start exportation of the LSM branded vehicles to be assembled in Nigeria.
He said: “We should roll out the EVs and the CNG vehicles by the end of the year. They will be locally assembled. Our Ogun State facility will be able to do the CKD of the CNG vehicles and the EVs. It is a six-line plant.”
He said the company has both the expertise and the expatriates to deliver on this project.
“We have been training people. We just trained 100 people in Ekiti. We have trained over 2,000 people in Nigeria already. We intend to do more. We are going to different states to enlighten them about the electric and CNG vehicles.”
Speaking earlier, the company’s Managing Director, Taiwo Shittu, said the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) had approved the licence to start the assembling of the EV/CNG vehicles.
He said: “The DG of the NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, has been very supportive. He opens his door once we knock. He knows the serious investors. Lanre Shittu Motors is a priority to him and we get the necessary support. He has approved our licence for the CNG and EVs already.”
“Now that the government is talking about electric vehicles, we have to remain relevant and move up to be a market leader, we have to key into the project.
“We have two plants already running in Lagos – the truck plant and the car plant for fossil fuel engine vehicles. The six-line plant in Ogun State will do more of electric and the CNG vehicles.”