Hybrid Motors Nigeria has secured approximately $95 million in investment commitments to establish electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plants and a nationwide charging infrastructure network, in what could become one of the most ambitious private sector clean mobility projects in Nigeria.
The investment follows two strategic partnerships signed in China by Hybrid Motors Nigeria. The first is with automotive engineering firm Launch Design Shanghai to develop EV manufacturing facilities in Lagos and Abuja, while the second is with a Chinese charging infrastructure company to deploy large scale EV charging stations across Nigeria.Speaking with Nairametrics, Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Motors Nigeria, Jubril Arogundade, said the projects are designed to move electric mobility in Nigeria beyond pilot schemes and vehicle imports into full scale local manufacturing and supporting infrastructure.
According to him, the manufacturing facilities will require an estimated $75 million investment, while another $20 million will be deployed toward the development of charging stations, bringing the total investment value to roughly $95 million.
The development comes as Nigeria seeks to deepen local vehicle production under the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) and accelerate the adoption of cleaner transportation technologies.
Under the agreement signed with Launch Design Shanghai on May 8, 2026, the partners will establish manufacturing operations in Lagos and Abuja with a combined annual production capacity of 70,000 vehicles at full maturity.
The Lagos facility, located within the Lekki Free Trade Zone area, will serve as the primary production hub with a projected annual capacity of 50,000 units.
The Abuja facility, located in Centenary City Free Zone, is expected to produce up to 20,000 units annually.
Arogundade noted that the facilities have already secured land and construction activities are underway ahead of a planned factory unveiling in the first quarter of 2027.
“The factory will be launched early next year by Q1 2027. The land has been secured and we are building now,” he said.
While the plants are expected to reach full capacity over a 10 year period, Hybrid Motors plans to begin with an initial production target of 7,000 vehicles in the first year of operation.
The company also disclosed that assembly activities could commence as early as September or October 2026 using prototype units imported from China before full scale manufacturing begins.
At the centre of the manufacturing strategy is Acely, a new electric vehicle brand being developed specifically for Nigerian conditions.
According to Arogundade, the partnership goes beyond conventional vehicle assembly operations by incorporating research and development capabilities within Nigeria.
Unlike many existing vehicle assembly operations that rely heavily on Semi Knocked Down (SKD) assembly processes, Hybrid Motors said the partnership will establish a dedicated R&D centre that will support the design and adaptation of vehicles for local roads, climate conditions and consumer preferences.
“This is not only about doing regular assembly. We are having a proper R&D company set up a research and development centre in Nigeria with Hybrid Motors to do research and development for vehicles manufactured for Nigerian use,” he said.
The company believes the Acely brand can help reduce dependence on imported vehicles while fostering local engineering expertise and technology transfer.
Launch Design Shanghai brings significant experience to the partnership. According to Arogundade, the company worked with Chinese automotive giant BYD in its early years and has contributed to the design of dozens of vehicle models for global automobile manufacturers.
Beyond vehicle production, Hybrid Motors is also tackling what industry observers consider one of the biggest obstacles to EV adoption in Nigeria: charging infrastructure.
The company has signed a separate agreement with a major Chinese charging technology manufacturer to deploy 110 EV mega charging stations across Lagos and Abuja over the next four years.The charging infrastructure project carries an estimated investment value of $20 million.
Each charging station will contain 12 charging bays capable of servicing up to 24 vehicles simultaneously. According to Arogundade, the fast charging technology will allow vehicles to achieve a full charge in approximately 30 minutes.
“So each station will contain 12 charging bays and those 12 bays can charge 24 cars at a go. They are fast charging stations and a car can charge fully in about 30 minutes,” he explained.
The first prototype charging station is currently under development in Victoria Island, Lagos, while equipment shipments have already been dispatched from China.
The company hopes the network will address consumer concerns about vehicle charging availability, often cited as a major factor limiting EV adoption in Nigeria.
“For people buying EVs, one of their worries is how to charge. That worry we are eliminating,” Arogundade said.
Hybrid Motors said the projects will also focus heavily on skills development and workforce creation.
The company plans to deploy Chinese engineers and technical experts to Nigeria while simultaneously training local talent to support the emerging EV ecosystem.
According to Arogundade, the company intends to train 10,000 Nigerians within its first five years of operation.The training programme will cover vehicle maintenance, charging station operations, engineering, research and development, and other technical specialisations required within the EV value chain.
“We are deploying technology from China, deploying engineers from China and training our people. We plan to train 10,000 people in Nigeria within our first five years,” he said.
Industry stakeholders have consistently identified technical capacity gaps as one of the challenges slowing the growth of advanced manufacturing sectors in Nigeria. The planned training programme could therefore play a significant role in supporting local expertise in electric mobility technologies.
Nigeria’s EV market remains at a relatively early stage, with most activity concentrated around vehicle imports, pilot projects and small scale charging solutions.
While interest in electric mobility has increased amid rising fuel costs and growing discussions around energy transition, widespread adoption has been constrained by limited charging infrastructure, high vehicle acquisition costs and inadequate local manufacturing capacity.
Hybrid Motors’ dual investment strategy seeks to address both supply and infrastructure challenges simultaneously by producing vehicles locally while creating a charging network to support adoption.
If successfully executed, the project could strengthen Nigeria’s automotive value chain, support technology transfer, reduce vehicle import dependence, conserve foreign exchange and position the country as a regional hub for electric vehicle manufacturing and clean mobility solutions across West Africa.
“With facilities in Lagos and Abuja serving distinct but complementary markets across Nigeria and the wider region, we are laying the foundation for a new era of mobility, one that is locally rooted, globally competitive and sustainably driven,” Arogundade said.
-Nairametrics