In line with its mandate to encourage and ginger the development of the local auto industry by boosting local talents, the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has commissioned a ‘8-Seater Electric Campus Shuttle Bus Competition’ for 12 Nigerian universities cut across all the geo-political zones of the country.
The participating universities are Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Uthman Danfodio University, Sokoto; Modibbo Adama University, Yola; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; University of Abuja; and University of Ilorin, Ilorin.
Others are University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; University of Benin, Benin; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife; University of Lagos; and University of Port Harcourt.
In the event, which was held at the University of Lagos, and witnessed by auto industry operators, academia, top NADDC staff and the press, to officially kick start the competition, the NADDC DG, Mr. Joseph Osanipin, stated that the Council will give its full support to the competition.
The DG charged the contenders made up of students and lecturers from the concerned schools, to come up with practical and workable solutions suitable for the Nigerian environment.
He promised that the NADDC will not stop at the design stage at the end of the competition, but will also take steps to involve auto players to develop the final products after the competition.
“Today, I challenge the Nigerian university community to dream big, I challenge you to do even better than our expectations. Let us have a vehicle of our dream. We are going to work with universities, polytechnics and technical schools”, the DG said.
NADDC Director in charge of Vehicle Electrification, Engr. A.N Ayinde, added that the competition will generate ideas and provide students with opportunity to embrace global best practices.
The kick start of the competition was concluded with the inspection of some environment friendly brands like LSM, Dayun, Wuling etc, that were on display.
Key collaborating partners for the competition include Lanre Shittu Motors, Folti, Dangote Sinotruk, Scheneider, Clean Technology Hub Energy Innovation Centre among others.
One of the participants, Senior Vice President, Technical of Oando Clean Energy, Mr. Adeyemi Adebajo, stated that Oando is concerned about the environment and reasoned that environment, economy and society are key in sustainable transportation.
In his submission, a lecturer from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Ozoemena Ani, commended the initiative and pledged the collaboration of the academia.
The jury for the competition, which is meant to run for about six months, is made up of auto industry players, academia from none-participating schools and the NADDC.
