THESHIELD Garkuwa
Related Articles
JELANI ALIYU AT UNITED NATIONS UNEP: AFRICA NEEDS ELECTRIC MOBILITY MORE THAN ANY OTHER PART OF THE WORLD The Director General of the NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, MFR, has called on African countries and research institutions to adopt and promote Electric Vehicles, expressing that Africa needs electric mobility more than any other part of the world. 
He made this call during the UNEP program which held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya, the UN’s official headquarters in Africa, and the organization’s third largest facility in the world with 4,000 emplyees. Aliyu spoke as a Guest Speaker at the program, themed ‘Shifting to Efficient and Zero Emission Vehicles in the Global South’, which held from 13th -15th, June, 2022. Delegates from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, and Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the face-to-face meeting. Aliyu said,
“The people of Africa themselves have incredible heritage and history, from the times of the builders of the great pyramid of Giza, to the reign of Mansa Musa of Mali, to the dreams, hopes and aspirations of modern-day Africans. Dreams, hopes and aspirations that must now be realized to positively change the lives of every man, woman and child on the continent at an aggressive pace.” He explained that it is clear there is need for massive industrialization and transformation in Africa, and that it must be achieved without destroying the continent’s environment, and that with the abundance of sustainable energy, electric mobility would be the unparalleled solution.
The UNEP workshop showcased the activities and impacts of UN’s GFEI (Global Fuel Economy Initiative) in developing countries, and the support to help them improve the efficiency of their relative vehicle fleets, including developing economy and Electric Mobility policies. The workshop also fostered South-South cooperation among the supported countries, and shared the experiences and practical examples from participating countries on cleaner and efficient fuels and Electric Vehicle policy development. Aliyu discussed the journey and successes so far on electric mobility in Nigeria, “We have put together a technical committee to work on and create a legal framework for the promotion, adoption, patronage and usage of EVs in Nigeria, this will further expedite the development of Electric Mobility in the country”. He highlighted that the Hyundai Kona EV is already being assembled in Nigeria, and Jet Systems Motors has the Jet Mover Electric Van. Max E has developed an electric motorcycle and Phoenix Renewables is converting mini buees from petrol to electric. 
“NADDC has started the development of Electric Vehicle changing infrastructure with three pilots of 100% Solar Powered EV Charging Stations located at universities to support technology transfer.” Aliyu mentioned that there is an opportunity to collaborate and get necessary support from the GEF (Global Environment Facility) program of the United Nations in funding electric mobility research and projects in Nigeria, such as the work the NADDC is doing in partnership with academia both within and outside Nigeria towards solar powered traction platforms for small farmers. 
He further urged participants that the industry will not grow from importation alone but by developing home-grown technology. Aliyu reiterated that the future must be achieved through ubiquitous and sustainable industrialization, enabled by intelligent electric mobility to every relevant nook and corner of Africa.
