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Nigeria’s revived automobile industry has a new innovative mini car designed to be affordable and resilient enough to withstand infrastructural challenges particularly rough roads.
The locally developed Bajaj Qute cars resulted from the collaboration between the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and Vasco Technology Solutions Limited (also known as Africar).
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The Bajaj Qute cars were officially launched into the market recently in Ibadan. All modeled for ride hailing services, the new vehicles built in Lagos by the Stallion Group, are expected to improve transportation first in Oyo state and then across Nigeria as it increases in production and market-acceptance.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, described the Stallion Group as a “home-grown conglomerate adding value to the nation’s economy for the past 52 years.”
He lauded Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde for creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship to thrive and assured that the federal government will continue to support states to drive the national economy in the area of local manufacturing.
“The environment you have created is enabling the likes of Africar,” the minister added.
The Director General of the NADDC Mr. Jelani Aliyu, MFR, was represented by the Director, Industrial Infrastructure Department, Dr. Nua Omisanya, in delivering a welcome address at the launching of AFRICAR held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on 4th, April, 2022.
Africar is a modern ride hailing service with dedicated vehicles and the Bajaj Qute cars will further strengthen its growth.
According to the CEO of Africar, Mr. Sahil Vaswani, all of the cars being used for the project are assembled in Lagos at the Stallion Group’s manufacturing plant.
“This car is assembled in Nigeria by Nigerians and is environmentally friendly, with 50% lower carbon emissions than the average car” said Vaswani.
Also speaking during the unveiling of the vehicles, Director General of the NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, said the mini-buses are benchmarked on international standards and are part of government’s overall vision to make Nigeria a hub for automotive manufacturing technology in Africa.
“NADDC continues its unwavering dedication to the support of local automotive production, and also continues to promote some of the latest technologies being developed,” said Aliyu. He was at the Ibadan launch by represented by the Director, Industrial Infrastructure Department, Dr. Nua Omisanya.
According to Aliyu, the NADDC has worked tirelessly to ensure growth and sustainability of the Nigerian automotive industry so as to enhance the sector’s contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP).
