Nigeria’s EV bill puts manufacturing at the front

Nigeria’s Senate recently advanced the Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill to its second reading. The most transformative element of this legislation is its industrial strategy: it aims not merely to encourage EV uptake, but to compel the establishment of a domestic manufacturing base. The bill, championed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, establishes a stringent structure, linking market entry and financial incentives for investors directly to measurable targets for local vehicle assembly, local content use, and production volumes. Successful implementation of this policy could shift Nigeria’s role from an importer of electric vehicles to a major assembly hub for the entire African continent.