In a bid to advance sustainability in electric mobility, SAGLEV Electromobility Nigeria Limited has called for greater support and awareness for the importation and deployment of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Nigeria.
Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Sam Gbenga Faleye, who disclosed this during a courtesy tour by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to SAGLEV’s EV Assembly Plant in Ikorodu, Lagos, noted that the company and its partners had already imported over 2,000 EV chargers, with a target of 10,000 units within the next five years.
Faleye emphasised that public perception about charging limitations remains a major barrier to adoption.
He said that contrary to popular belief, most EV users charge their vehicles at home and but that one of SAGLEV’s vehicle models come with a dedicated home charger.
“The fastest-growing business in Nigeria is electric vehicle charging. This is why we need the press to put the word out there.
“We already have charging stations and more are coming. Even a 20 kva generator can charge an EV,” he said.
Faleye reiterated that affordability and financing are key to mainstream EV adoption in Nigeria, noting that many of SAGLEV’s vehicle models cost less than 60 per cent of a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle, aided by government incentives, such as duty exemptions and VAT waivers.
Deputy Director of Press and Protocol, NADDC, Felicia Irene Oyebolu, who spoke on the objectives to the tour, explained that the initiative was introduced by the new director-general of the Council to showcase the capacity and challenges of auto stakeholders across Nigeria.
Oyebolu, however, praised the progress she witnessed during the tour, saying: “With what I have seen, they are more than capable. Seeing is believing and I saw.”
On his part, Head of the Business Sustainability Management Team, Keystone Bank, Akinwumi Olukeye, said the bank partnered with SAGLEV to promote ESG-compliant (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives
